Melody Norman, Contributing Writer
Immersed in a world of short-form and fast-paced media, Gen-Z has become known for its short attention span. Although normalized, this issue leaves students struggling to sit through a class without distractions.
In many classes, there are often a number of students fixated on their screens. Some students are only using their devices to take notes, to pull up class materials or for accommodations. But a view from the back of a classroom can also reveal a consistent cycle of social media scrolling, online shopping, NYT Games or an attempt to finish homework for another class. Sometimes, it is only when the class ends that students detach from their devices.
Are these students optimizing their time, or are they wasting it? Are they exhibiting multitasking skills, or are they reflecting a deeper psychological issue?
Among many things, the Internet provides us with endless entertainment that is often short and stimulating enough to catch consumers’ attention. But habitual engagement with this can damage our brains.
A research article titled “The Effect of Internet Addiction on the Attention Span of University Students” explained that internet-addicted students had worse attention spans, partially due to exposure to “a very large amount of data presented over short durations through apps like TikTok, Instagram, etc.” Similarly, a 2018 study found that internet use, specifically online shopping, decreased participants’ attention. After spending significant time on the Internet and social media, it can be difficult to focus on slower-paced things. This explains why students might struggle to sit through classes.
But what happens when students ease their discomfort by scrolling the internet during class?
This is often where media multitasking comes in, a situation probably familiar to Gen-Z students. In the classroom, this might be switching tabs from online shopping to checking your social media then looking at Brightspace to see what’s due for another class and even opening an AI platform to complete homework, all while pausing to copy down the professor’s slides and maybe even chime in to the class discussion.
International and global studies Professor Claire Panetta, discussed the complications of this situation, “I remember being a college student myself, so I’m sympathetic to this. But it seems very, very antithetical to what a liberal arts education is really all about.”
Panetta further explained that focused class engagement is very important for students’ learning, “There’s a different kind of experience when you are fully present and you are listening to what other students have to say … Ideas, connections, are going to emerge out of that, that I think even if you are kind of able to multitask, it’s not going to give you the kind of depth of experience that I think you can have if you’re fully engaged and present in the class.”
Panetta’s points bring up important questions for students. Device distractions and multitasking during class may seem productive and normal, but it is important to consider if this fast-paced, scattered approach is truly compatible with a higher education setting that prioritizes focus and deeper intellectual engagement.
Additionally, the relationship between media multitasking and education has already been studied.
For example, a 2018 literature review concluded that “inside of the classroom, media multitasking is negatively associated with GPA, test performance, information recall, comprehension, and note-taking, especially when students multitask to engage in off-task activities.” The review acknowledged that while there are certainly benefits to technology in the academic world, media multitasking is a damaging habit that should be monitored.
One of the studies examined in the 2018 review, titled “Does personal social media usage affect efficiency and well-being?” stated, “As often as students and professionals claim that they are multitasking, and that this is supposed to be rationale for adequate performance…it does not change the negative effect of social media usage on their performance.”
Such findings might encourage students to reconsider their classroom behavior, despite how confident they are in their choices.
However, the problem does not only come from the students themselves. The Internet and social media are engineered to be enticing and addictive, so breaking away requires a significant amount of self-discipline.
Panetta acknowledged this difficulty, explaining that even if students understand the negative effects, the urge to check devices sometimes feels too strong. “If you’re being asked to sit in a class for 75 minutes, you’re kind of wired now to want a distraction after x number of minutes,” she said. “So I think it’s almost reflexive for students to want to grab the phone.”
Similarly, English Professor Jennifer Michael reflected, “I think we all have more and more trouble just being where we are and being in the present moment. And it’s a discipline that we all really have to work at.” Michael said, “I think being in class gives you an opportunity to try focusing on one thing for a while. And I recognize that it’s hard. And I think that we as faculty need to recognize that it’s hard.”
These difficulties are substantial but not insurmountable. It’s worthwhile to make difficult changes in order to experience an opportunity-rich environment like Sewanee.
“You have a limited amount of time here, and each class is an opportunity for some kind of intellectual development, engagement and growth,” Panetta said. “Do you want to take advantage of the opportunity that’s on offer? Because four years is going to fly by and then, you know, the moment has passed.”
Lastly, Panetta posed a question for students to ask themselves: “At the end of four years, how do I want to feel about what I’ve done with my time?”
As the internet becomes increasingly more gripping, students seem to recede from the present moment of their classes and sink into the digital world. Devices are so embedded in our daily life that a classroom full of distracted students might not raise much concern. But these students are at risk of being distracted from their own lives and opportunities.
I want to urge students to put away their devices when possible and appreciate what their classes have to offer. You can check your notifications later, but for now, in the time given to you, pay attention to this learning experience. It is not something you want to miss.