It’s the back-to-homework season and for many families, that means back to procrastination, nagging and tears. And while there is lots and lots being said about backing off and not helping our kids do their at-home assignments (read this and this), new research reveals another piece of the homework puzzle: Namely that digital distractions — a text, a buzzing notification or an update — isn’t just a little detrimental to getting homework done. It’s way worse than that and makes almost any form of concentration almost impossible.
Here’s the data: “In a 2013 study of 263 college students at California State University, it was discovered that students with access to technology were unable to focus on academic work for more than two minutes (yep, two minutes) without becoming distracted. Overall, these same students devoted only about 65 percent of their study time to actually studying.”
Read the full article here.
Add to that the fact that most students now need to use the Internet to do their homework — where Facebook and Instagram are just a click away — and you’ve got a recipe for some major distraction.
So, what’s the solution?
Psychology Larry Rose advises kids to take “tech breaks” to satisfy their cravings for electronic communication. “After they’ve labored on their schoolwork uninterrupted for 15 minutes, they can allow themselves two minutes to text, check websites, and post to their hearts’ content. Then the devices get turned off for another 15 minutes of academics.”
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