In today’s generation, the concept of not using technology to do tasks, especially at school, has become almost unthinkable. Students, especially younger ones, use AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other types of technology not as a tool, but as a way to get their work done without having to think, research, and actually study.
AI prompts, built to answer every question, made children and teenagers lose their interest in knowledge. The ethical use of technology has been lost as the need to complete tasks quickly became more important than actually learning. Even though the idea of schools banning technology is still debatable, children’s and teenagers’ dependence signals the need for a faster decision
The problem goes beyond AI
The excessive use of technology in today’s generation has built a scenario much bigger than just the use of AI. The addiction to social media, for example, is making young students lose their attention in class, which, combined with less interest in pursuing knowledge, can lead to lower critical development.
Research made by the British School of Barcelona pointed out that one of the many disadvantages of dependence on social media is that it can reduce productivity. Students may struggle to pay attention to subjects that take longer, as the videos spread online usually last three minutes or less.
Not only that, but because young people are always online, the opinions they share and believe can be misleading, which makes the learning process even harder, as they may choose to believe in what they saw online instead of what the teacher is presenting.
The extreme use of any kind of technology can lead to cognitive decline or brain atrophy, typically associated with aging, suggesting that the consequences may last for a lifetime.
How are students and teachers really affected?
School performance has somehow increased, but not by merit. According to a new study made by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education, the risks of using AI for every task in education overshadow the benefits, as students have stopped increasing their academic skills and have only gotten good grades due to the results of artificial intelligence.
As said by Gabriel Siqueira, an English teacher who deals with the relationship between students and technology daily, teenagers are becoming less responsive to teachers’ actions, showing a constant state of boredom in class.
He also mentioned that teaching has always been a challenge, but the addiction to technology has forced teachers to adapt to a situation where students can no longer sit and listen anymore, as they’re constantly searching for something entertaining. This stems from continuous exposure to internet content that doesn’t require concentration or active engagement.
Gabriel believes that schools have to ensure their students are being taught how to deal with the real world, outside of the screens. Today’s generation is struggling to handle technology, not knowing when it’s time to use it, and how to actually see it as a part of the learning process, not the whole process itself.
It’s a political and mental health matter effect
According to Dr. Maria Cristina Simões, a specialist in educational psychology, the increase in screen time nowadays, especially after the COVID -19 pandemic, has led individuals to lose their social skills, mostly when it comes to dealing with other people.
Cristina also mentioned that not only the psychological, but the biological aspect is also being harmed by the intense use of technology, as the students are constantly in the same position with the same online interactions.
When questioned about schools banning technology, Maria explained, “I don’t think it’s the solution. Just like many other technologies that have grown over the years, like the use of books or television, today’s scenario is something we’ll have to deal with. There’s no turning back”.
She believes that the key to managing the situation lies in schools setting their goals very clearly. According to her, unfortunately, the education in Brazil was not designed to build functional adults and skilled professionals, but rather to teach students how to take tests and get good grades.
“We have to rethink the goal of our education system. In Sweden, schools are trying to keep their teens and kids away from technology, because they have a very clearly defined structure of their education. If you analyse, it’s more than just a debate, it’s a political matter. Why have the northern countries figured it out and we haven’t?”
If you cannot write well, you cannot think well; if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you”.
Oscar Wilde
This line, said by Oscar Wilde, represents the damage that can be done when students stop using their own knowledge and intellectual abilities to do things and instead develop a strong dependence on technology.
Not having your own critical thinking can lead the world to a scenario in which individuals can’t make decisions on their own and will be 100% controlled either by AI or by opinions that were once spread around social media. This directly affects a global society and puts a spotlight on the idea of banning technology at schools or changing the way we’re dealing with the future of education.
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The article above was edited by Isabella Simões.
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