The other day, a student who has been slow to engage in independent work was once again distracted by his cell phone, despite the fact that cell phone use is prohibited during detention. I told her to put her phone away, retrieved her review guide from her often-forgotten shelf in her study room, and told her to read it. She was in love with her. Easy-to-access resources to help you review for your exams without distractions. She secretly put her book in her bag before going out.
Like many parts of the world today, education is excited about the potential to leverage technology to drive progress. AI that promises to provide personalized learning solutions. Large-scale language models like ChatGPT provide efficient answers to any research question. Up Learn, an 'AI-powered' website, promises to guarantee As and A*s for A-level students. Some people talk about the “Fourth Educational Revolution.” But is it a panacea and a false dawn?
There is skepticism about the future of AI. ChatGPT is getting a lot of hype, but how justified is it in reality? It often fabricates false information. When asked to create a scientific summary, the company fabricated 30% of the references. Technology expert Cal Newport emphasizes that AI cannot replicate the core human ability to plan. Also, AI cannot reproduce the essential art form of teachers: well-crafted explanations. But even if the technology is fine-tuned, the fundamental problem remains that the costs can outweigh the benefits.
It is becoming increasingly clear that technological distractions, especially on smartphones, have a negative impact on young people's mental health and learning. American psychologist Susan Lin emphasizes that “technology companies…are at war for our children's attention.” They are winning the war. Different studies differ on how much time young people spend online. But what is clear is that it is overkill. One of the more conservative estimates by Ofcom is that a teenager spends four and a half hours of her time online. This is a potential barrier to learning. The key ideas in Jonathan Haidt's new book are: anxious generationthat is, unless you learn to concentrate as a teenager, you may never be able to.
The negative effects of excessive online use on young people are clear. Hite has proven that the rapid increase in smartphone use is not only a correlate, but a cause of poor mental health. A recent paper by the Resolution Foundation came to similar conclusions.
The school currently issues 180 SEN (Special Educational Needs) diagnoses per day. This includes a variety of needs, some of which are related to decreased attention span, which may be a contributing factor to excessive cell phone use. SEN labels are designed to address needs rather than solving underlying problems.
One thing the Department of Education recommended all schools do in February this year was to ban some form of phone access. However, given the urgency of the problem, this is not enough. It may not be all that glamorous, trendy, or in the pockets of tech companies, but schools, educators, and parents can encourage young people to develop healthier habits around technology and make it happen. We need to provide an environment where this is possible.
The outcome of our lives and the path our lives take are determined, at least in part, by what we do from day to day, from moment to moment. Author Paulo Coelho optimistically asserts that “every day brings eternity to itself.” But what if our daily lives are driven by addictive technology that only releases dopamine and prevents us from achieving our goals?
Addictive technology is one of the reasons young people are turning away from reading. The National Literacy Trust suggests that only 28% of students (ages 5 to 18) read for pleasure. According to the 2021 international PISA survey of students, 49% of students agree that they “only read books when necessary,” an increase of 13% since 2000. Reading books can be difficult and requires concentration. However, it is essential for learning. Children from high-income families are exposed to thousands of more words than those from poorer families, which is one reason why children from wealthier families have better educational outcomes. According to the OECD, reading is the biggest determinant of educational success. Reading also benefits your health as it creates new neural pathways, reduces hair levels and increases oxytocin levels.
As philosopher Sasha Mudd points out, when we learn, we value not only the acquisition of knowledge, but also the process itself. This process is character building through developing curiosity and resilience. There are moments of frustration and anxiety in learning. You need to stay focused even when things are difficult and stay alert despite distractions. The route is just as important as the result. It is better to pursue and preserve learning than to choose AI shortcuts. This may get us to our destination faster, but it leaves both individuals and society worse off. As Charles Darwin argued, “Few faculties are more important to the intellectual progress of man than attention.”
This isn't just a performance issue. We want to develop in our students the pro-social values of listening and paying attention to others. Not only from a learning perspective, listening to each other is a great way to learn, but also from a moral perspective. In an age where cell phones are often found at restaurants and at family dinner tables, we want our students to see the value of giving someone their attention. Because it's a way to show that you care about others and get them to acknowledge you. As Simone Weil argued, “attention…is the purest form of generosity.” Listening is a building block of relationships.
Current conversations feel too formal for the raw excitement about the possibilities of online technology. But for students and wider society, creating an environment that supports students' attention and cultivating habits of concentration is an ancient but still important element of young people's intellectual and spiritual development. .
