A disastrous distraction

I became a full-time college professor in August 2007. Six weeks earlier, Apple released the first iPhone. Within a couple of years, smartphones were ubiquitous among my students. They constantly looked at their devices in class—surfing the internet, texting friends, and reading emails. Smartphones were a major distraction to student learning, and I became increasingly frustrated.

I also remembered my own time as a graduate student, which was then still recent. Laptops were becoming more common, and I loved the seeming efficiency of typing notes rather than writing them out by hand. But there was also a new temptation—games on the laptop. That was my generation’s temptation. Fast forward a few years later, and I knew increased internet access only magnifies the temptation for my own students to be distracted by their laptops or tablets.

I could see that personal electronic devices were hindering effective learning for too many of my students. This was all anecdotal, of course. But then I started reading the research.

First, there was Jean Twenge’s discussion of the long-term negative effects of screens on what she called “iGen,” but what most would now call Generation Z. Around the same time, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt were writing on similar themes, tying them to larger generational trends they identified as the “coddling of the American mind.” From a Christian perspective, the Barna Group was partnering with the Impact 360 Institute to conduct major studies of Generation Z. These studies and numerous others reached some sobering conclusions: Early and prolonged exposure to screens negatively impacted the cognitive development, mental health, and overall well-being of young people. This was especially true if the screens were smartphones and/or screen usage included significant social media consumption.

Big Tech, increasingly in commercial partnership with public school systems, has convinced young people (and their parents) to believe that they must have personal electronic devices in order to function. As a result, a growing number of students are issued laptops from early elementary school. The results have been disastrous for student mental health and their ability to learn to read and write at a basic level. Ask almost any college professor and many public-school teachers. The kids are not OK, in large part because they are conditioned to rely upon screens.

Lest you think I’m anti-technology, as a university administrator, I’m keenly aware there are many fields that necessarily rely upon various technologies contextual to those fields. My concern is not with college students becoming proficient with technologies they need to master in order to be successful in their desired professions. Rather, my concern is that smartphones, tablets, and laptops often hinder authentic student learning.

As a professor, I decided years ago to minimize the use of personal electronic devices in the classroom. I require students to turn off their smartphones in class and put them away completely. In a class meeting long enough to require a break, the students are welcome to check their phones during the break. But once class resumes, the phones must be put away again. While there are occasionally exceptional circumstances, including necessary accommodations for some students, those situations are exceptions to the general policy.

In every class, I at least urge students to take notes by hand instead of using laptops or tablets. I warn them that if they choose to use a laptop or tablet, I’ll not hesitate to revoke their privileges the first time I catch them using a personal electronic device for anything besides taking notes. In some classes, I ban the use of laptops and tablets completely and require all students to take handwritten notes. Some students complain about the policy, but others thank me for it later. The truth that few will voice is that they know that personal electronic devices are distracting them in the classroom and often undermining their well-being.

No doubt my policies seem hopelessly old-fashioned to some students. I admit the policies are certainly counter-cultural. But as an educator, my calling is to teach students, and as a Christian educator, my desire is to disciple them to follow Christ faithfully in whatever vocations to which the Lord has called them. At times, this calling compels me to challenge their assumptions, habits, and preferences, even if it is difficult in the moment. When it comes to personal electronic devices, I’ll continue to challenge them for the sake of their education and overall flourishing.