text: Online learning can't be beneficial if the students are far too distracted to learn. Students commonly have pets and other siblings. Loud barking and incessant children can be a huge distraction, especially when students are already acclimated to the toned-down classroom environment. Plus, having electronics around, like a gaming console or a pair of headphones, is tempting to a bored student. It's far easier to reach over and turn on a controller and play a game when it's right next to you. Distance education may allow you to work at your own pace, but when you're working far too slow because you continue to "take breaks," whether to deal with distractions out of your control or to procrastinate the entire day, it's no longer beneficial and you aren't making any real progress like you would in a classroom with little to steal your attention.