In high schools and on college campuses, it’s not unusual to see a student leaving class insert the earpiece for an MP3 player in one ear and, after punching in a number, lift his or her cell phone to the other ear to begin chatting on the way to the next class.
At first glance, the student will appear tuned into technology – and able to multitask.
In reality, the new electronic input is interfering with the lessons learned in the previous class, said Charlene Kamper, a veteran teacher and well-known speaker on teen issues, learning, and relationships from The Dibble Institute. The institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young people learn the skills necessary for successful relationships and marriages.
Kamper, who made a presentation recently at Kansas State University, has more than 25 years of experience teaching junior high and high school students. She works in the area of Family Studies, is a Certified Family Life Educator with the National Council on Family Relations, and understands the benefits of technology in the classroom and larger world.
“The brain is capable of parallel processing, and when a student leaves class, his or her brain typically continues processing the educational message for a longer period of time,” Kamper said.
Too much input at one time from multitasking, especially if the stimuli are unrelated to each other, can slow down the brain’s ability to link thoughts efficiently, she said.
“We now know that during the teen years, the prefrontal cortex of the brain the part that is responsible for analysis and judgment is the last area to wire strong connections for thinking. We also know that use of electronic technologies stimulate different parts of the brain, rather than areas of the brain responsible for tasks such as reading and creative cognition.
“Teachers are seeing high school students with skills typically seen at the eighth-grade level 10 years ago,” said Kamper, who noted that 10 years ago, students spent about 25 hours a week engaged with computer technology. “Today, students are averaging 40 or more hours a week with various technologies.
“With information and answers just a click away, today’s teens are falling short when it comes to deductive reasoning and problem-solving on their own,” she added.
“Building vocabulary and interpersonal communications skills are also suffering,” said Kamper, who noted that teens who spend many hours engaged in technology also are experiencing feelings of isolation, even from their family.
“The time spent engaged in technology is also taking away from healthy, physical activity that is important in regulating body function and brain chemistry,” she said. And, while it’s true that teens are maturing physically at a younger age, social maturation and the ability to form close relationships or connections with each other is coming much later in life.
“The teen years have typically been a time of social interaction and adjustment, yet, given the virtual nature of technology, many of today’s teens seem to be struggling with this important skill area,” said Kamper, who noted that teens in her California classroom might have a “friend” online in Toledo, but not know students who are sitting on either side of them.
“Making friends online is easy, but artificial,” she said. “The other person knows only what you want them to know, and the electronic communications diminish the opportunity to read body language or interpret intent.”
Kamper advocates the educational and recreational benefits that technology can provide, but encourages parents and families to limit the time their children spend engaged in technology.
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