Digital distractions

Sabrina Lo

Being distracted by non-school related content is certainly not an uncommon thing. With the combination of unenjoyable studying and the temptation of putting off work, it can be difficult not to give in to the digital distractions that are just within an arm’s reach.

“On the one hand, I could be doing homework and writing essays. On the other hand, I could be watching a video or doing anything else that seems much more exciting on my phone that’s two feet

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away from me,” Christos Makropoulos, a junior at Aragon High School, said.

But why exactly is it so easy to succumb to such distractions? People are naturally eager to hear the ping of a notification, changing their habits in preparation to divert their attention. Attempting to ignore the notifications can lead someone to think they are being left out of something crucial to them, forming an urge to see what they are missing. Even if there is nothing waiting for them, people become accustomed to checking their phones regardless. “There’s this huge fear of missing out, and it’s a very real thing. There’s a fear of missing anything, even the most mundane things. It’s just like, ‘If I don’t have my phone, what if I miss a call?’” Michelle McKee, a psychology teacher at Carlmont, said.

The most common distractions include social media, web surfing, messages, emails, and video games. In a survey conducted on a small sample of Carlmont students, 28% of respondents said that digital distractions increased their homework time by 45 minutes. Though that may not seem like very much, 31% of the survey respondents answered that it takes about five hours to complete their daily homework. When considered in its context, the toll that distractions take becomes apparent.

Without any digital distractions, an individual could significantly decrease their time spent on homework. 25% of the survey respondents believed that their online distractions constituted ¼ of their total homework time.

“[Digital distractions] definitely prolong things for me. I was trying to work on a really easy assignment and it took me close to 45 minutes to complete because I kept stopping to look at my phone. It just makes everything a longer

process,” Arcelia Duran, a junior at Carlmont, said.

Not only do digital distractions lengthen the time one spends on completing schoolwork, they also reduce one’s ability to retain the information learned during class. A study on college students by psychology professor Arnold Glass and graduate student Mengxue Kang uncovered a causal relationship between inclass laptop and cellphone use and poorer exam scores. The students collectively tested lower on the material taught when they were allowed to use their devices during class.

The students in the college study were recorded believing they could effectively multitask without any disadvantages. But this belief has only harmed their longterm retention of information.

“There are some things that require what’s called effortful processing, which actually needs our conscious effort to process information,” McKee said. “School, especially online school, requires a lot of effortful processing, and I think that students miss a lot.”

Nowadays, it is even easier to give in to digital distractions. With Zoom calls taking over in-person lessons, students find it much easier to pull out their phones without being caught by the instructor. In the survey done on Carlmont students, 90% of respondents answered that they get distracted by non-school related digital content while in a Zoom class. Additionally, 48% of the students believed that it was somewhat more challenging to understand the information taught when they were distracted.

“To see how many students miss very easy, basic questions of information I just gave them minutes earlier, I’m like, ‘Are they even listening to anything I say?’” McKee said.

Although a little distraction here and there may not seem to be so harmful, one can see that the overall effect of interacting with digital distractions is quite detrimental to one’s study habits and ability to learn school material. Without these distractions, less time can be spent on completing homework, and more time can be spent on other, more enjoyable activities.

“Digital distractions make up a lot of my homework time, and without them I feel like I could be working on something that benefits my personal well-being, like working on my hobbies,” Nicole Coleman, a junior at George Washington University Online High School, said.

Preventing digital distractions is no easy task, especially when they are so tempting. But it is possible. There are several methods you can use to decrease your distractions and increase your attentiveness.

Putting your non-essential devices in a different room than the one you study in makes them less likely to become a distraction. When your phone or other distracting electronics are in a convenient location, it is much easier to reach for them. However, keeping them further away removes this convenience.

If moving your phone away isn’t an option, phone apps such as Flora block distractions for a preset period of time. Once the set time is used up, the distracting apps are no longer available until they complete the work they need to do. These apps are a beneficial way not only to be more productive but also to remind oneself of why they should be trying to study.

Remembering what one is striving to achieve as an adult helps to keep individuals motivated to continue trying their best at their current point in life. Completing school is just part of the path students take to start careers and live a full and enriched life.

A survey conducted on a small group of 31 high schoolers uncovered intriguing data on student study habits

Do distractions influence your learning ability?

I don’t get distracted (6.7%)

Yes (23.3%)

Somewhat (56.7%)

No (13.3%)

90% of students said they use their phones or other screens in Zoom classes 55% of students found it somewhat harder to understand material taught while distracted in Zoom classes 53% of students felt their school performance would be somewhat better without digital distractions Frequency of device usage during Zoom classes

40%

16.7%

6.7%

1 (rarely ever) 2 3 16.7% 20%

4

5 (every class)

Sabrina Lo