Does Technology Affect Teens' Ways of Learning?

The Good Side

• The origin of most technology is a need: a need for efficiency, a need for convenience or a need for information. In this respect, technology is inherently good. Teens familiar with modern technologies can use them to make their studies easier, finding information online and easily communicating with their study partners. Whereas in the past, an information-hungry teen would have to wait until after Sunday to go back to the local library, today̵7;s teen has scores of libraries at her fingertips. A teen who uses technology in a planned, organized way, can benefit greatly from what technology has to offer.

Addiction

• Addiction to anything can be harmful to a teen̵7;s academic performance. But technology can be especially damaging to the scholarly efforts of a teen due to the time drain it puts on teenage life. The enjoyment teens get out of interacting socially can drive them to use the Internet in a way that social interaction spills into the home, classroom and library. A teen with a phone in her pocket can gossip whenever she pleases, and that might happen to correspond to times at which she should be studying. The time teens spend using technology can become egregious, with some teens becoming addicted to their favored technology. Even though, according to Internet scholar Kimberly Young and editor of the book ̶0;Internet Addiction,̶1; only 5 percent of teens suffer from technology addiction, in a sense this is an infinite increase from yesteryear; 1 out of every 20 teens suffer from this addiction, which results in the impulsive use of technology. These teens simply cannot put down their phones or laptops when it̵7;s time to study. David Greenfield, the founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, wrote a chapter in Young̵7;s book, going as far to compare technology addiction to substance abuse. When teens are completely focused on something non-academic, their academic life tends to suffer.

Sleep

• While it might seem the main mechanism of technology in damaging academic performance is its ability to draw attention away from school, another mechanism, how technology affects sleep, is at play. In the paper ̶0;Adolescent Technology Usage During Sleep-Time,̶1; psychologist Kristin Dehmler shows the effect of technology on teen̵7;s sleep quality. Her results show that teens who use technology late at night have problems falling asleep; these teens are also more likely to wake up during the sleep cycle, which destroys the quality of their sleep. Because a lack of sleep can hurt an adolescent̵7;s ability to concentrate, Dehmler says that this negative effect of technology could lead to poorer academic performance. In her study, she found exactly this result: teens who use more technology tend to have lower GPAs.

Don̵7;t Freak Out Yet

• As a parent, it̵7;s your right to freak out when you̵7;re worried about your teen. And, according to Young, with 90 percent of teens having free access to the Internet, most moms and dads have some reason to worry. However, one factor in how much and often your teen uses her technology is your supervision and knowledge of her online behaviors. Often, the simple act of asking your teen what she does on her phone or laptop is enough to give you some clues as to whether you need to set new limits. Upon finding your teen staying up until 3 a.m. every night to play online games, for example, you might set a rule that limits Internet use to a certain time, such as 10 p.m. This could also help in improving his sleep quality. In many cases, such small steps go a long way in countering the negative effects of technology. Only in more severe cases should you consider confiscating your teen̵7;s technology or consulting a psychologist.