What Technology Addiction Means for Educators

A recent study found that an “uncontrollable need” to use smartphones is on the rise among young people. Out of 3000 adults surveyed, 19% of those aged 18–29 showed signs of “moderate to severe problematic use” of their devices, compared with only 2.2 percent of those over the age of 30. The study came from an organization that has historically reported trends on tobacco, alcohol, and other addictive habits — and due to the increasing penetration of technology, it added use of electronic devices into the question pool.

The fact that digital devices have made it onto a survey related to addiction and mental health directly brings into question the value of these tools in the classroom. It’s no secret that smartphone distractions are a danger behind the wheel, with many states and provinces increasing the restrictions against texting and driving. But now that studies are linking phone use to addictive behavior — something that has already been labeled clinically in other countries — what place do smartphones really have in schools?

To ban or not to ban?

Many technology pundits and tech-savvy educators have sought not only to inject technology into the classroom, but to convince the consumers that it’s the solution — to equitable learning, engagement, participation, and to personalization. And while this strategy has its merits, it’s also much too early to determine its effectiveness.

The argument for outright banning technology in schools, on the other hand, is also flawed. A technology ban doesn’t consider how unrealistic an expectation it is in the hyper-connected world we now live. This approach also doesn’t help young people, who are already more problematic phone users, improve their behavior or learn how to become less dependent upon their devices when they are not at school.

Students get the short end

Students today are traversing a challenging new world not many of us understand. The landscape of the internet has transformed dramatically over just the last 10 years, becoming a place where people we will never meet have the capacity and ease to ruin a person’s life. The sheer prevalence of cyber-bullying makes one wonder why participate online at all, where there seems to be more hatefulness spread than any amount of positive and intellectual discussion. And as social media perpetuates a need to be liked and followed, it only creates a hazardous emotional ride for young people who feel like they don’t measure up.

Young students from grade school to university are now expected to have a vibrant digital presence in this often hostile space, while simultaneously using their devices effectively and efficiently for their work. The trouble is that, today, most of the internet is used for entertainment and media, and what’s worse is there’s an expectation that students should know, by the time they’ve moved on from senior prom, exactly how to be highly effective and critical users of the internet. It’s like putting people who want to be healthy and know how to work out into a gym, while surrounding them with a tantalizing buffet of their favorite treats. Someone is bound to crack.

The reality is, as revealed by the study and countless other cases, that as many as one in five young adults do crack. Will that figure rise? It’s certainly likely — and pushing technology into places it doesn’t really need to be may be what accelerates its rise.

What can educators do?

Technology, when used effectively, has insurmountable advantages — there’s no doubt there. It’s bridged the gap for individuals, who may otherwise not afford a computer, access to a world of knowledge. It’s afforded young adults in challenging situations the ability to learn without barriers and to access things once inaccessible. It’s made work easier to accomplish and (most often) more efficient. But it’s the darker side of the digital landscape that few want to admit is as big a problem as it’s become, and it’s time those capable of producing a change start acknowledging its flaws realistically.

Rather than ignore or undermine the damage tech overuse can do, or simply prohibit the tools students should be learning how to manage, educators need to acknowledge that technology addiction is real. They should understand that self-control is much easier said than done, and they should apply technology to be used in a way that doesn’t simply force its users to always be “on”. When homework, team projects, and even the classrooms themselves have become bound to a virtual existence — often because it’s easier — alternatively creating real, analog, and offline spaces for discussion and deeper thinking could be a good starting point.

While technology makes most things easier, it takes away from valuable learning experiences.

Encouraging student groups to meet after class in real life, rather than from behind their respective screens, will help them improve their social skills and ability to communicate more effectively in person. Applying technology in a positive way, like introducing students to mindfulness and meditation through easily accessible (and free) apps, may help reduce the anxiety and stress associated with life’s expectations.

Assigning actual paper books to be read and discussed may help improve their creative and cognitive thinking, and this habit will be valuable to their future work-life balance needs. Teaching students to unplug by using innovative platforms like Flipd can help students who are easily distracted, and usually permitted to feed those distractions, learn to focus their attention elsewhere. Encouraging students to step outside of their usual screens to meet with real mentors and experts, and to explore and question real life problems, will help them build character, empathy, and relationships.

Promoting balance to students in a meaningful way will teach them its importance — because the older they get, the harder a lesson that is to learn.

Technology can improve our lives significantly. But as a millennial who works from the comfort of my home, collaborating with remote teams using all the wonderfully powerful tools technology has to offer pales in comparison to a live meeting, where I can gauge my team’s reactions, dive deeper into problems and solutions, and feel the emotion of our discussions. It’s not that technology isn’t yet good enough to mimic these experiences, it’s that having these experiences is a necessary part of being human.

Whether for better or worse, teachers will be the change-makers in our technology-addicted world. My hope is for the better.

I’m the co-founder of Flipd, a learning tool that helps students unplug, and a researcher in productivity and engagement.