Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.
Two recent surveys reveal a widespread belief among teachers
that students have shorter attention spans because of their
constant use of digital technology. Are you distracted by
technology? Are smartphones, texting, video games, iPads,
Facebook, Web surfing and television getting in the way of your
learning? In “Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers
Say,” Matt Richtel reports on the two surveys: There is a
widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of
digital technology is hampering their attention spans and
ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according
to two surveys of teachers being released on Thursday. The
researchers note that their findings represent the subjective
views of teachers and should not be seen as definitive proof
that widespread use of computers, phones and video games affects
students’ capability to focus. Even so, the researchers who
performed the studies, as well as scholars who