Screen Schooled by Joe Clement and Matt Miles

The present generation of students are no doubt dumber. Not dumber because they are not being taught correct information. No, more likely they are heading toward the distinction of being dumber because of technology.

What do I mean by that? Dumber? Why they are smarter because of technology. They have the computer handy and can access so much more information quicker than the earlier generations. Why do I make this statement?

I am not the one inferring this. But when we can see digital screen technology having a negative impact on our brains, it is time for us to slow down and consider.

“Our brains adapt to the environment,” states Oxford Neuroscientist. Susan Greenfield. “The human brain is an extremely complex yet malleable piece of the human hardware.”

This means that our brains can adapt to what we put in it. The use that students make of their iPhones, iPad, and other devices, the screen time, can tend to stunt the mental growth and possibly tend to lobotomize rather than enhance.

The idea of education is to enrich the process of learning by giving the student skills that are useful for adult life.

Instead technology addition leads to increased depression, anxiety, withdrawal, demised focus and diminished cognitive function. Not at all what is desired.

When the student beings his technology device into the class room and starts to multitask, which is what they attempt to do when they sit in class and listen to the teacher, read email on their screen, play games, they tend to slow down and increase their mistakes.

The sad truth, as our authors point out, is that unfortunately the ill effects created by an entire childhood of multitasking may be irreversible, severely impairing one’s ability to focus as adults.

I feel this book should be read by concerned adults. It is stated that the more we shield students from the consequences of their inability to focus and complete the work, the more they will continue to struggle.  Therefore, we should know what is happening in education and take steps to help our young ones adapt.

The two authors are teachers and they know what they are writing about.

It is copyrighted 2018 and published by the Chicago Review Press. It retails for $18.99. Better yet, see if your library has it. Either way, get it and read it.

The Power of Off by Nancy Colier

This is a thought provoking  book about a problem that is very current.
Have you ever gone to a concert and in the middle of one of the movements someone's beeper went off?
Or gone out to eat and your date had to bring along her smartphone or ipad? And all during the date had to keep checking the device?
That was very disrespectful wasn't it?  How important did you feel?
 It seems we have become people attached by an invisible umbilical cord.
 Attention is how we show others that they matter. When we are paid attention to it also shows we matter.
 Face to face interaction takes time and energy, focus and presence. Theses are things lacking when we communicate only by text and voice messages, A real  relationship can not be established.
Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist who notices that when you add a device to the interaction you are putting up a barrier to revealing yourself. A protective field, so to speak.
   I call it a virtual border. It is hard to relate to someone when you can't see the body language.
  The advice is to turn off the device. Leave it for a couple of hours. Very little is going to go wrong if you are not in possession of the device.
  It all comes down to our use of technology seems to create and intensify our inability to commit.
  Also it tends to hurt our memory
. It used to be you used your brain to store facts. Now a person stores the information on the device. For example, you have a problem when someone asks you for your phone number and you have to consult your smartphone for it.
   It can be controlled and you can get your life back. Read this book and share what you learn with others.
   Face to face, not on your device.