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The Effects of Screen Time on Attention Span

Shelby Morgan

Western Oregon University

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Introduction

In this digital heavy age, it is hard to get away from screens, they are all around us. It

started out with television and has grown into having a small screen every second of the day in

our pockets. Society relies heavily on screens for everyday activities. Offices overflow with

computers that sit at the desk of every employee. At home, television can be watched in the palm

of your hand. Classrooms incorporate technology in multifaceted ways in almost every lesson.

Bank information, budgeting, and shopping online can all be done on mobile devices. Computers

have replaced just about every aspect of our lives (Carr, 2010). Most anything can be done

digitally, day in and day out. Because of this, the amount of screen time that we consume as a

society has decreased our attention span (Jackson, 2008).

Technology has changed many aspects of life and in the last ten years has progressed

significantly. An overwhelming amount of information can be displayed on one screen through

todays technology. When everything is read from a screen and a sea of information is made

available with a couple clicks, attention spans can be affected. There is so much information

available on the web that it can be overwhelming to sort through. People constantly jump from

topic to topic, app to app, and games to game. Sorting through the multitude of information that

is available can create a pattern in the brain that teaches it to constantly crave stimulation. The

world today is filled with constant notifications and reminders which provides a positive

reinforcement (Carr, 2010). Each time a notification is received, the recipient responds by

viewing the contents. Once the contents are viewed, the brain is positively satisfied by the

information gathered. The anticipation of the arrival of a new notification on the device is then

renewed. This positive reinforcement will create a desire to keep constantly want to check our
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devices throughout the day (Carr, 2010). This background information to the development of

technology helps set a foundation to understanding the impact of screen time today.

Screen time can significantly impact our attention spans not just at home but also in the

classroom (Jackson, 2008). The internet and technology devices are designed to provide fast

delivery of content so that the brain is conditioned to always want more. The brain is constantly

adapting to the new uses of technology, but it is important to pause and consider how it will

affect development, education, health, and society in the future (Carr, 2010).

Memory and Attention Span

Oral traditions have been present in human history for many generations. Prior to written

language, everything was communicated orally. This meant that stories and information had to

be memorized and passed on from generation to generation. Memory changed when the concept

of writing was introduced. The alphabet was created and culture shifted from in taking

information through the ears to the eyes (Postman, 1985). Looking back through history at the

tools that have changed memory is important because it could inform how new technologies shift

our memory in the future.

Years later, functional memory has continued to shift. The invention of the printing press

changed how society gathered and stored information. It created mass production of books and

dissemination of information (Postman, 1985). Now, the age of screens is once again shifting

how our memory functions. Researchers have long known that the brains capacity, particularly

around memory, is extraordinary. The ability to maintain attention depends on working memory.

Cognitive load is the brains intake of information going into working memory at any given time.

Cognitive overload is when there is too much information being fed into the working memory

(Carr, 2010). When cognitive overload is experienced, the brain cannot move the information
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that is being consumed into long term memory, which then prevents the brain from creating

those schemas. When the brain gets to the point where it is overworked, the distractions from

notifications and technology become a relief (Carr, 2010).

Screen time and the reliance on devices are affecting memory. Setting a reminder or

writing a list on a phone is more reliable to not forget something at the grocery store. Before

phones had this capability, the human brain had the ability to remember grocery lists and

remember appointments or meetings on its own. The ability to remember and recall from long

term memory has to be exercised in order to be used (Carr, 2010). A heavy reliance on devices

has decreased perceptions of the ability to remember things without the aid of technology (Carr,

2010). Being resourceful does not always mean there is a need for a screen, but societys

perspective has shifted in this direction.

The key to memory is attentiveness, and that is one ability that separates us from most

other mammals; that we can control our attentiveness. Socrates even warned against taking for

granted the brains capacity to retain memories. The internet is slowly allowing society to rely on

technology for memory instead of the human brain (Carr, 2010). People have even started using

terms that refer to technology to describe words like memory. In fact, the word memory hardly

refers to the ability of the brain anymore, instead the word reminder is used (Carr, 2010). This

indicates that technology and the human mind are becoming synchronized. The potential to

accomplish a task as simple as remembering, now relies on a technology device like a tablet or

phone (Jackson, 2008).

The internet has the capacity to answer any question one might have, therefore eliminates

the need to cultivate or remember information. Students will have to be proactive in fighting the

temptation to use the internet over their own memorys capacity. Students must learn the balance
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of when to set down their screens and attend to what is in front of them and challenge their own

abilities. Although the internet is useful and necessary at times, using our own memories and

brain capacity will ultimately benefit us in the long run.

Multi-tasking and Attention

With the increase in screen time, our culture now depends on multi-tasking. When

browsing the internet many windows and apps can be open at the same time. Users can bounce

from one screen to the next which can impair the ability to process all the stimulation that might

occur. Millennials are the last generation to know life without internet, cell phones and tablets.

The next generation is spending most of their life on screens and will most likely be wired

differently because of it. Their brain will function differently than generations past because they

are exposed to a world of constant distraction (Jackson, 2008).

In education today, there is a push for teachers and educators to incorporate screen time

within in their instruction. Some of the programs that teachers are using for different subjects

within the classroom promote multi-screen learning, requiring the student to jump from one

screen to the next quite quickly. With the constant shift that comes from multi-screen learning,

the cognitive overload that these students experience could affect the way they consume the

content of the lesson (Courage, Bakhtiar, Fitzpatrick, Kenny, & Brandeau, 2015). Researchers

still do not know the full effects of mixing technology and instruction. Some researchers have

hypothesized that multitasking can lead to some children developing Attention-Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Screen timeADHD, 2014). More research needs to be done

around this topic, but the links between screen time and ADHD are becoming apparent.

Furthermore, students are beginning to use devices at surprisingly young ages. When

children are exposed to print on a screen, it can be very different than in a book or on paper.
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Traditionally children learn letters and how to create words using pen and paper. In todays

world, children practice these skills on some sort of device. Learning these skills on devices

instead of pen and paper presents a different way for children to learn. Some research has

discovered that different parts of the brain are used when reading on print versus reading on a

screen (James & Engelhardt, 2012). As technology and education advance, children will

continue to learn to read on tables and screens. It is inevitable that brain development and

function will change.

Childrens attention spans have also been affected by the habits of their parents at home.

Specific habits at home are having the television on even when no-one is watching. This means

that a child is growing up in a place of multi-tasking; mom could be making dinner, dad grilling

outside, sister in her own room watching TV. During the whole scene, there is a television

running in the background while the child tries to play. Researchers have found that this small

habit could have an impact on the childs play time (Courage et al., 2015). It interrupts their

ability to stay focused on the task they were engaged in. Not only are the children distracted

during their play, but the parents are not giving their full attention to the child (Jackson, 2008). If

the child needs something and the parents are cooking dinner, the television is on, and their

phone is in front of them, the child is going to have a harder time reaching their parents.

Hyperlinking can be thought of as multitasking as well. The hyperlink was a pivotal piece

in making the internet a more dynamic way to consume information. It started a different kind of

thought pattern and path for the user to navigate the web. Cognitive load really plays into effect

here as hyperlinks leads to a variety of places that might not be relevant to the original thought or

idea that was being researched. This kind of scattered searching impacts our ability to read in the

traditional sense. People who read linear text understand the text better than those that click on
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hyperlinks (Carr, 2010). Clicking around from link to link does not provide a path to acquire

knowledge the ways that it has been done in the past. Traditionally, knowledge has been gained

by reading an article or book that does not veer off in other directions. Hyperlinks present the

temptation to click on information outside of the current information. This constant distraction

could send the brain into cognitive overload, which means there is a slim chance that actual

retention and knowledge is being gained (Jackson, 2008).

Educators will need to prepare for a short attention span that is caused by the amount of

screen time consumed by children today. They will also need to be aware that these students will

be very familiar with multi-tasking. Many different strategies should be put in place for keeping

the students attention during lessons. When incorporating technology devices in the classroom,

educators will need to be sure that the technology enhances the curriculum. Often the technology

device become the lesson, instead of it simply the vessel that presents the lesson (Bester &

Brand, 2013).

Devices in the Classroom

The use of iPads and other tablets in the classroom has given advantages to particular

subjects of teaching. Educational use of digital tools like tablets have shown to benefit students

in the classroom (Bester & Brand, 2013). If most of the students time with a device was

educational, there might not be a problem with attention span. There are great apps and

educational tools to support an enriched learning environment. The key to incorporating screen

time within the classroom is keeping the instructional goal as the main focus. However, these

devices can become a quick distraction.

Many classrooms now have easy access to iPads or other tablets. The research around

this use and its effects on the classroom is varied. Educators are using these devices for many
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subjects such as literacy, math, and history. The research and opinions around reading on tablets

is quite divided. Some people believe that reading on tablets is going to extend our attention

spans and make books great again. Others believe that once the container for which the words

are delivered is changed, the content changes entirely (Carr, 2010). Most electronic books have

hyperlinked text within them. Students who read books on the web are constantly tempted to

click on links that lead to distractions and take away from learning.

Much research has been done around incorporating screen time or technology in the

classroom. The research seems to present both sides but from the research both include the

importance of using technology appropriately. There is support for using technology in the

classroom, particularly in a study done in 2013 that found that by appropriately incorporating

technology in a lesson, positive results were produced. The study compared a group of students

in several subjects. One group received instructions verbally and the other group received

technology instructions. The researchers found that the group who received the technology

instructions was more successful than the group who received verbal instructions (Bester &

Brand, 2013).

Another perspective in favor of screen time in everyday life is that of Steven Johnson. In

his book, Everything Bad is Good For You, he compares computer users with book readers and

says that by reading on the computer, the brain uses the sense to their fullest capacity (2003).

Carr challenges Johnson and says that not using all of the senses is actually what is good for the

brain. This provides a break from too much stimulation that can occur from on-screen reading.

Reading gives the person a break and opens their mind to creativity. Too much screen time can

block the brains ability to be creative. Gaining knowledge in stimulating environments, such as
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reading on a screen, is not always the best strategy. Carr advocates that less is more when it

comes to technology (2010).

Conclusion

There is a balance that needs to be considered when incorporating screen time in the

classroom or at home. If educators are considering incorporating screen time and devices within

the classroom, they will need to step back and evaluate the goals of instruction, characteristics of

learners, and the design of the technology (Sivin Kachala & Bialo, 2000). A technology-based

learning environment would be one in which the educator continually checks in with the student

and their progress. Sivin Kachala & Bialo suggest starting with the unit of instruction, then build

the expectations of the lesson and make them clear to the students (2000). Next, explain and

model the lesson while offering opportunities for the students to practice and finally regularly

check in with the students to ensure that they are on track.

There is no way that one can get completely away from screens and prevent their

attention span from being affected. In fact, research has shown that some cognitive skills have

been improved by the use of these devices (Small & Vorgan, 2008). The research has shown that

we have a greater capacity to sift through all this information available to us quickly and make

decisions about what is worth stopping for and what is not worth stopping for. However, what is

apparent is technology devices are not only changing how communication is exchanged in day-

to-day lives, but that it is completely changing the way the brain functions (Carr, 2010).

There are strategies that can be developed at home and in the classroom for preparing

students to function at their best in todays digital world. Individuals suggest having a limit on

screen time at home. It is also important for children to see their parents being mindful of their

own screen time (Powell, 2016). The key is sticking to your discipline plan and being consistent.
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These and many other strategies and techniques will help students and children function in a

world filled with screens.

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References

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mechanism. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 30: 45.

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Carr. N.G. (2010). The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. New York: W. W.

Norton.

Courage, M.L., Bakhtiar, A., Fitzpatrick. C., Kenny, S., & Brandeau, K. (2015). Growing up

multitasking: The costs and benefits for cognitive development. Development Review, 35,

5-41.

Ellen Powell, S. (2016, October 21). How much screen time is OK for your child?. Christian

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Jackson, M. (2008). Distracted: The erosion of attention and the coming dark age. New York:

Prometheus Books.

James, K. H. (2010). Sensori-motor experience leads to changes in visual processing in the

developing brain. Developmental Science, 13, 279288.

James, K. H., & Engelhardt, L. (2012). The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain

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Johnson, S. (2005). Everything bad is good for you: How todays popular culture is actually

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Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business.

New York: Penguin Group.

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Sivin-Kachala, J., & Bialo, E. R. (1994). Report on the Effectiveness of Technology in Schools,

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