Technology brings distraction to the classroom.

Jane Nam, Writer

Imagine that in the middle of class, all electronics disappear. I bet both students and teachers would be at a loss for what to do. In class, we use technology to the point of excess. We mistake it as being helpful, but it’s actually hindering us from maximizing our learning potential.

Technology distracts the process of learning.

These days, technology is a toy for lots of teenagers. Bringing tools that double as addictive playthings into the classroom is a gamble. Since students are allowed to use laptops in many classes, they can do whatever they want on their laptops without getting caught.

People say note-taking is made much more efficient through electronic interfaces like keyboards and iPads. However, do students actually focus in class and take notes, when there are electronic devices with social media and the whole Internet right in front of them? Technology is distracting students from the teachers’ lectures.

Smart TVs and Google Classroom are a double-edged sword for learners. Often, students don’t pay attention in class, given that they can simply receive the same resources online. When teachers post all the class learning materials on the web, students simply catch up at home, losing out on in-school time.

With over-reliance on technology, students lose the skill of handwriting.

Around the time kids turn 4, they learn how to write their name – a major milestone for a 4 year old. Parents and teachers alike spend hours trying to teach children how to write properly. Writing by hand is a more important skill than you think, utilized in the workplace and throughout school life.

Handwriting, besides the obvious improvement in penmanship, allows for better concentration and memorization. Writing is a process of developing your mind’s rough drafts into a final product; you think ahead for what you’re going to put on paper. But when you type down the words, the affair goes by so quickly that you don’t have enough time to think.

Actually, technology harms the environment.

When we talk about saving the earth, cutting down the trees to make the papers always comes up. However, technology is also harmful to the environment. Its production creates enormous amounts of waste, and the used computers and electronics that are thrown out are hardly biodegradable.

”Techno trash” is waste created by any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic devices. The whole process behind technology – from producing to eliminating it – is damaging the Earth. Our selfishness is toxic to nature.

We are living in a world where using devices isn’t optional – they are necessities. If we have to be stuck with them forever, let’s at least have a break while learning and associate with the real world.