Two recent surveys reveal a widespread belief among teachers that students have shorter attention spans because of their constant use of digital technology.

Read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/education/technology-is-changing-how-students-learn-teachers-say.html

What do you think? Are you distracted by technology? Are smartphones, texting, video games, iPads, Facebook, Web surfing and television getting in the way of your learning? Remember, suppo
tyler davis
11/12/2012 02:32:32 am

In my opinion, current technology does not distract me. I might use current technology a lot but i can still have a civilized conversation while im using them. Current technology doesn't stop me from interacting with other people.

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Amber Snore
11/12/2012 02:32:37 am

I do believe technology as a whole is distracting. I know that when I'm sitting down doing homework, if my phone goes off I can't help but answer it. It's almost like instinct. I don't believe personally it affects how much I learn, no matter what, I get everything done what needs to be done. It is distracting but it's not like a road block, I have obligations, those come first.

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Veronica Klein
11/12/2012 02:35:28 am

I do agree with the article when it states that students are being hampered by their constant access to digital media. Everything on the Internet is fast and easy to access within seconds, which may be part of the problem. Students as well as people in general are bored and impatient if a website takes more than 5 seconds to load and will most likely give up on it. If a student has to dig to find an answer, they will be more likely to give up if they can't find it within a minute or so. I think it would be a good idea for everyone to put down their digital media long enough to learn the patience to do longer tasks.

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Dillon
11/12/2012 02:37:50 am

Students now are different from students in the past. New generations, new technology, new problems...exc. The world isn't going to stay the same forever. " Dave Mendell, 44, a fourth-grade teacher in Wallingford, Pa., said that educational video games and digital presentations were excellent ways to engage students on their terms." If teachers used interesting teaching methods, maybe the students would pay attention and learn something

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Jillian Bailey
11/12/2012 02:40:49 am

Technology is definitely very distracting. When your phone goes off and you’re doing homework you don’t even think about it you just automatically grab it read the text and reply then you do the same thing over and over. Each time you grab your phone your train of thought is lost its like dropping one conversation then moving on to another then having to jump right back again and eventually you want to choose one and for most kids it ends up being the phone not the homework.

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Addison Millard
11/12/2012 02:46:21 am

While technology can be an enormous distraction, I think that adults (teachers) are over-reacting to the recent trends in student technology use. There are times when learning needs to be the focus and other times for personal discretion. I think technology should be present in both situations, especially learning. While certain technologies are meant for entertainment, others should definitely be used for learning. I admit, at times, I am distracted by YouTube, Pandora, and even Facebook. But When I’m doing school work, I use the internet, my laptop and other devices to my advantage.

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Megan KIdder
11/13/2012 02:05:45 am

I think that technology does distract you. The reason why I think this is because you always see people in class texting and not paying attention. Technology can be a good thing too. It can help you learn new things and to help you with homework. Technology is a distraction in school because kids wouldn’t pay attention on the things that are being taught but instead on the internet and games.

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Grace Meade
11/13/2012 11:08:35 am

I believe that techonology can be very distracting for some people. Technology is a common excuse for not doing schoolwork. In contrast, some ways technology can be faster, easier, and helpful. Search engines are very useful for school allowing students easier and faster access to information. I also believe that things like cell phones, social networks, and certain games can cause teens to have poor communication skills face-to-face.

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Corey Robins
11/14/2012 02:42:00 am

I do believe that technology might be a distraction to many people not just students but I also think that technology helps students learn too because now you can look things up on the internet instead of searching through or for a book that may or may not have the answer to the question you are looking for. I do think that social media is a major distraction but in school the only one that the person is hurting by not doing their homework and being on social media websites is themselves. As for kids being “socially awkward” I think that, that isn’t caused by technology I think it is just enabled by the technology.

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Tyler Falls
11/15/2012 01:42:07 am

I do believe that technology is a distractive thing from learning. If kids are on their phones and their not paying attention then they are not learning. But if they use technology to learn then it could go either way. Some teachers will allow you to use your phone for polling and other likewise ideas. I’ve seen some students ask to Google something that they or the teacher do not understand. If they use their technology to their advantage then no I do not believe technology is not distracting. But in most cases it is very distracting.

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Nate Pewoski
11/16/2012 02:07:34 am

I think technology has nothing to do with attention spans for young students. I think if a student is having trouble paying attention in class, then maybe its just the student, teachers dont have to blame that on the rappid advances in technology.

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Todd Fox
11/16/2012 02:08:52 am

Technology I do believe is contributing to a shorter attention span in school. I personally can get distracted in class by it. However this can be corrected by actually implementing technology in classrooms that goes along with the learning process. As seen students love to use the technology, if we can incorporate it then the attention paid to technology is education based. I believe that we need to adapt the way teaching is done to suit the current generation. We are moving toward it, but slowly because of limitations in funding and other factors.

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Steven Wolfe
11/16/2012 02:10:51 am

In my opinion technology doesn’t distract me from my education. I sometimes will not do my homework because I am distracted from texting or something but that’s a rare occurrence. I still can have a face to face conversation with a person and not be distracted. I do think that young people will abuse their technology and with that it will affect others.

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Michaela Kalmink
11/16/2012 02:15:10 am

I think the technology of today is distracting to some student but to some students like me use it daily in the class room and at home. My I pad helps me in a lot of way like typing and reading on it. I like using technology and I think it would be helpful to some students but the teacher could only put things on it so the students cannot play games.

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Leah Czinder
11/16/2012 02:25:41 am

I believe that students have changed because of the increase in technology. I find that while I’m doing homework I am also on my phone texting people, which makes me forget where I was at in my homework. I think the technology is distracting but people have the self-discipline to find the balance between their responsibility and the technology.

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Alexis Morgan
11/16/2012 02:26:05 am

In my opnion, elcetronics can be distracting, but also at the same time, some schools are using technology to teach thier students, so its not really anyones fault if the students get distracted. Also not a lot of people really have these electronics so they cant get distracted as much, some just feel that anything is better than learning. To me some voices just put me asleep or I drift off.

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Bo Morgan
11/16/2012 02:27:48 am

I think that technology does distract students. I don’t believe that it is stopping kids from learning or getting their work done as much as some people think. Most students, including myself, if your phone goes off while doing homework, they’re going to answer it. But that doesn’t completely stop them from finishing the homework. Video games can distract a student even when they are not playing the game because the game sets such high expectations for the rest of the world that the real world seems boring and not as fun. Also, the easy access to the answer of a problem, via internet doesn’t help a student’s problem solving methods, but does save students useful time that they can use to get more done in the assignment.

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Katy Wallace
11/16/2012 02:31:59 am

I do believe technology is very distracting. During class, I see people texting, listening to their iPod, or they’re on Facebook. I know I’m addicted to the new technology. If my phone goes off, without evening thinking, I pull it out and answer whoever it is. I can’t do homework without listening to some sort of music, and during my free time I’m always on Facebook. Technology definitely make’s the task I’m doing last longer because I pause to use it, but I still get done what needs to be done.

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bill glossop
11/20/2012 02:04:07 am

i think technology helps in school more then it hurts... if you dont have a computer handy you can look up something on your phone... but i dont think things like video games affect your education at all, its a hobby, fishing and hunting is a hobby too but is that affecting you academically?

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Nick Gaiski
11/20/2012 02:11:00 am

I do not believe I am distracted by technology. As to technology is a part of who I am. Technology has to do with pretty much everything I do. Whether it's music (which I work better with), art, school. So no, I am not distracted if it is exactly what I do. Focus is a choice for me, not something that a variable.

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