There are few teens at this point who are not constantly texting and connected to Facebook or other social media. As wonderful as technology has been by bringing information to us within seconds, it has also impeded our ability to think without interruptions and to fully utilize our mental abilities. With the new school year right around the corner, here are some ideas to consider.
1. Smart phones, iPads and computers prevent anyone from working their minds for longer than 30 seconds to remember anything.
How long does a teenager think to recall a famous person’s name or the name of a movie before “looking it up” aka “googling it”? How long do you wait to remember something before looking it up on your phone or online? 30 seconds? Barely! I am guilty of this myself.
We are not exercising our ability to recall information and to strengthen our memories. The more we work to access information, the better. Think of your mind as a muscle that needs to be worked. We want our children to grow into strong minded adults, not adults with minds that have become lazy and unable to recall information without the help of a device.
2. Technology interrupts complete or full thoughts.
The last time you had a profound thought that promoted your growth or increased your understanding, what were you doing at that moment? Were you sitting in front of your TV with your lap top on the couch and your smart phone in your hand while you were checking Facebook? I doubt it.
Likewise, while children or teens are attempting to learn school material like math, science, or social studies, those types of distractions do not allow for deeper understandings of the material. Our minds are amazing; they are the source of our creativity, motivation, and understandings of the world. However, our minds need time to create thoughts and make connections.
Our minds needs time to create memories without interruption from a text or Facebook post. The information needs to sink in so that we have the opportunity to reflect on it in a meaningful way.
3. Technology creates a high need for stimulation.
Cell phones and the internet definitely did not create the classic expression “this is boring”, but it has decreased our interest in consuming less stimulating information. Young people who have been exposed to the internet and cell phones for their entire lives have adapted to receiving information with fast talking, quickly moving screens, and bright colors. I believe that it makes it harder for young people to have the ability to be interested in reading an entire book, or absorbing information that is dry.
Unfortunately, not all valuable information is delivered in visually stimulating and attention-grabbing ways. Most of the information we should learn and understand regarding the world, our country, and other important topics are not perceived as fun or exciting and therefore may be skipped over or ignored.
Technology has helped to improve our society in numerous ways and created personal conveniences, but we should be intelligent consumers. Is the Facebook post or text message you are about to read at any moment worth the cost of interrupting your thinking or learning? We should be benefiting from technology without compromising our own mental potential. After all, the next thought you have may change your life. And for our young people, we should allow them the opportunity to have thoughts of their own, uninterrupted.
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