As our world gets older, everything we have gets newer. Our greatest and most innovative minds are constantly trying to make our lives better than they already were. The modern era of technology has drastically changed today’s society in countless ways right in front of our eyes. History has shown the transformation of our growing country formed by the numerous and incredible technological advances along with advances in many other fields. Dating all the way back to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb and as recent as Steve Jobs and his creation of Apple Computers, technology has been there to help ease and improve our everyday lives. However, not every aspect of technology is for the better. In regards to the field of education and the growing minds of today’s youth, a few issues arise when discussing our most recent generations’ use of technology. Increasing amounts of students are using their tech devices in unproductive ways within the classroom environment. While some people might say otherwise, the increasing use of technology is a major distraction in today’s classrooms and can negatively impact the communication skills and attention spans of students, and has the potential to cause noticeable effects on a child’s brain development. 

In the eyes of some people, such as the companies who are creating these products, the usage of classroom technology is almost the opposite of harmful. Through my research I noticed a similar belief between companies manufacturing technology and individuals pushing for an innovated classroom environment. These parties both feel that technology offers up convenience, an abundant amount of resources and information, and a great way to communicate with other people. For example, in an article written by Janelle Cox, she states, “technology occupies an important place within students’ lives. When they are not in school, just about everything that they do is connected in some way to technology” (Cox). Cox demonstrates how large of a portion our lives revolve around technology and how comfortable we have grown with it. However, becoming too comfortable with something may not always be the best way. A number of these benefits seem to also come accompanied with a few potential down sides. Such as, the increased convenience, which technology and the internet bring, could very well cause laziness in students, resulting in a stronger urge to procrastinate on assignments. For example, as a freshman in high school I was given an iPad by my school district. Yes, it made it easier to turn in assignments and research necessary information, but it was a constant distraction during class and when trying to do some assignments. When hardly paying attention in class, it is easy to fall behind, and trying to catch back up is not the right way to learn something. A combination of procrastination and falling behind in class could be deadly to a person’s grades, making it clear why most electronics are not the right fit for a learning environment.

In addition to the possible effects technology’s convenience might bring, a number of serious problems are resulting from overusing technology within the classroom and, ultimately, as a whole. The minds of students and children of today are being altered by too much technology which is effecting the ways children think and feel. Pamela DeLoatch, a writer for Edudemic, argues, “the use of technology can alter the actual wiring of the brain” (DeLoatch). She goes on to say that nearly sixty-seven percent of toddlers under the age of two are using mobile media, and nearly all of teenagers are spending time online. For instance, using Google or other search engines can help a student become better at finding research, but might not help them to retain it. With technology being such a present force in twenty-first century generations, the emotions and feelings of students are not safe from being effected. When the emotions of developing students are stimulated in the wrong way, their emotional stability may be easily compromised.  For example, “a report from the United Kingdom revealed that kids who use computer games and their home Internet for more than four hours do not have the same sense of wellbeing as those who used that technology for less than an hour” (Deloatch). The wellbeing of our students is very important in insuring a good future for them. The more often we use technology, the less physical interactions we have between each other. That alone can give young kids difficulty when developing social skills and emotional reactions.

Even though a person’s emotions and social skills are two separate aspects of personality, they are both effected from a lack of physical contact with others. In many different career paths, a good set of social skills is the key to being successful. For example, business majors or education majors might need good people and conversation skills in order to effectively work in groups, excel in interviews, and influence others on the job. Not only is it essential for the adult world, but the grade school life of a student rely on social skills just as heavily. Albert Schweitzer, a German philosopher, once said, "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful”. As a student recently graduated from high school, I can vouch that finding a bright side to eight hours of class a day, is a must. In many cases that sense of enjoyment a student gets from being at school comes from the friendships they make. However, a student who spends entirely too much time in front of a screen, will not have the social skills to make many friends at school. Because every hour a child spends glued into their electronics, takes away an hour of person to person interaction.  Students that are unable to make friends due to a lack of social skills, would not have seeing friends as something to enjoy when at school. Without a reason to enjoy the time spent at school, it’s very possible those students could fall behind in their classes. It is simply much harder to put full effort into something unenjoyable rather than something fun.

 Nevertheless, the ability to make friends is only one way our social skills influence our lives. Through the course of a lifetime there are many circumstances that rely on our ability to socialize. In a lesson for a social psychology course, the instructor, argues, “Social cues are important for many reasons but mostly because they help us navigate social situations. Your students need to learn and develop these skills in order to interact in a society -- to make and maintain friends, get a job, talk to the bank teller, and so on” (Linde).  A failure to develop the essential social skills needed in life, can result in additional issues. Later in her lesson, Linde discusses some of the individual social skills that are at risk of negative influence. Some of which, include leadership skills, empathy, conflict resolution, expression of emotions, and most importantly communication. 

The backbone of this country, society, and world all revolves around how we as people communicate with each other. Some examples might include: different governments discussing agreements or treaties, a student asking questions in class, or staying in touch with relatives. The internet and many types of electronics provide us with new ways of communicating to the world. We can now talk to anyone, no matter how far away, at the click of a button. On the other hand, it is taking away from the most important form of communication; person to person. A professor from Louisiana Tech, argued, “The Internet potentially reduces the importance of physical contact in developing and maintaining networks of strong ties due to the fact that communication via the Internet does not depend on the distance between parties. This may have severe consequences for students, as part of the education process is not only academic learning, but also learning many of the social skills that will be needed in life” (Wilkinson 3). Without being able to pick up different social normalities through in person encounters, a student will have a tougher time communicating effectively with classmates and teachers. In her article, Deborah Hunt-Gierut, explains, “Communication means using all of the tools: expressions, body language, visual objects, cultural ideas, and common background” (Hunt-Gierut 52). Hunt demonstrates how communication between people has many different aspects. Children need to have more face to face encounters in order to learn those tools of communication. Often times students who are unable to communicate in class tend to remain quiet and not participate. It is important for our students to involved and focused in class if we want them to receive the best education possible.

Along with the effect it can have on communication and social skills, unmonitored and increased internet use is also causing conflict in the development of a child’s brain. Through the developmental years, up until middle school, an individual’s brain is more easily shaped by the world around them. Almost in the same sense that a young dog is more likely to learn a new trick easier than an old dog. “Child development experts consider it crucial to give children at this age a broad base— emotionally, intellectually, and in the five senses—before introducing something as technical and one-dimensional as a computer” (Herman 41). In discussing the brain, it’s growth and development could be stunted. This works in the same way as a younger athlete’s growth could be stunted from working out too early in life. Due to the growing stages of an elementary or middle school student’s brain, it is essential to let it grow and expand before the everyday encounter with computers and other forms of technology. 

With all developmental issues aside, classroom distractions are most responsible for keeping students from learning at the best of their ability. As I touched on earlier, technology is huge cause of students not paying attention in class. For example, “a study found that ninety-two percent of a sample of students texted during class and ten percent did so during a test” (Jackson 131). However, texting is only the start. Due to the social media craze today’s society is in right now, there are countless reasons for teenagers to spend time on their phones. Some of which, include social media sites such as, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram. That is without even considering the endless amounts of games that phones now a days have access to. As a result, one distraction turns into so many others. In a YouTube video I found, it discussed some of the effects technology is having on society. One example the creator uses, is a teenager who is listening to music, playing video games, scrolling through Facebook, and texting all at the same time (Flemming). While it may be a little far-fetched, the scenario does a good job of representing the amount of time kids are spending on their devices. In hopes of attaining the best education possible, a continuing classroom distraction is an easy way to diminish it. Because technology has become so intertwined with our lives, it has gotten much harder for students to turn away from it during class. The entertainment that technology may bring in a home environment is just not the right fit for the classroom. There are too many ways that technology can be misused.

 Furthermore, the issues that rise from technology usage are going to keep happening unless something is done about it. Parents and teachers need take action in shrinking the amount of time our youth spends online. Once students are around the start of high school, and given time to mature, and let their brain grow, they should be allowed free reign to use technology. Until then, however, it is essential to come up with steps to reduce and utilize technology in the most effective way possible. Jana Herman gives a good list of ways teachers and parents can improve how young students are using technology at home and in class. For example, a few actions she suggests include: limiting technology, spending quality time with other people, getting several hours of exercise a day, and restricting internet use on smart phones. She also writes, “When children play, they do better academically, socially, and, not unsurprisingly, physically. We want to support children in becoming well-rounded people, who experience and appreciate all facets of the natural world” (Herman 40). We can transfer these home remedies for improving technology usage to the classroom and school environments. Younger students should have the least access to the vast world of the internet, and students should be allowed more time to socialize and play with other students. In order to better our society and our youth as a whole, it is essential for our children to become the best possible versions of themselves. That can only be achieved by monitoring the use of technology amongst our developing students, within the classroom, and at home.

In conclusion, while it does offer some benefits, it is easy to see that overusing technology is hindering our students from receiving the best education possible. It is a huge classroom distraction, and has been proven to cause potential effects to a child’s brain development, along with having a negative effect on the communication skills and attention spans of our young students. The future of our society, solely rely on the educations of our children. No matter how you look at it, a proper education is one of the most essential life tools a person can have. Which is why we need to ensure that our upcoming adults are learning the in the most effective way possible. If we use some of the actions I discussed in the previous paragraph we can start to cut down on some of the problems related to overusing technology. This is the key to building a better education for our students and making our society even more outstanding than it already is.
