Have you ever tried to stop using your smartphone for an hour? A work day? A whole week? Research shows that students who were studying averaged less than six minutes on task before switching, most often due to technological distractions. At the office, we are interrupted on average every three minutes and five seconds. The effect? Higher stress, impaired memory and decision making, and declining creativity.
Starting in September, Ontario schools will ban cellphone use during instructional time. This comes at a time of greater awareness of the impact of devices on school and work performance. While managing digital distractions is important, especially for developing brains, a total ban is impractical due to the pervasiveness of technology. For this reason, the Toronto District School Board lifted their cellphone ban 7 years ago — since then the influence of technology has only increased.
To ensure the success of device or screen time management initiatives, it is important to recognize the role of technology in our daily lives. Whether you are a principal, a parent, or a professional looking to become less dependent on devices, here are a few things to keep in mind as you start exploring ways to increase your time well spent offline:
- Understand your motivation for the change
- Provide or find an alternative to activities performed on devices
- Take breaks to check your devices — this can help in managing your overall use
- Make the change social and fun
To ensure optimal performance in school and reduce the risk of suffering debilitating illness and early cognitive decline, it is important to lead a physically active, intellectually challenging, and socially engaged life. Managing our digital distractions is one part of this strategy.
Read more about the ban: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-school-classroom-cellphone-ban-1.5052564
