글자크기
As high school days pass by, I cannot help but notice that the distractions to students are growing. More specifically, the internet is growing more distracting. Cell phones and texting have been around for a long time, and they are distracting in their own ways to some, but they are being replaced by an even more powerful force, the internet. It is not uncommon to hear that students were not able to finish homework or had to stay up late because of distractions. So why is this happening?
I have heard before that Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder cases are growing in children in the United States. Although I do not have either of those disorders or know anyone that does, I can understand why. Technology is becoming more and more user friendly and simplified. They also provide features that people could only dream of just a few years ago, for free. YouTube receives 48 hours of user provided videos every minute. That is just one example of the endlessness of the possible sources of entertainment on the internet.
Because the internet is becoming faster and simpler, people tend to adjust to the vast amount of content available, and constantly seek more. Soon enough, it becomes almost addicting, and some people cannot focus on doing one thing without thinking of some YouTube video or wanting to check Facebook, leading to shorter attention spans. I experienced this myself. Even as I write this, I want to go check some website, just for the fun of it.
It is also worth noting that popular websites like Facebook allow people to connect in many ways. Friends can see what articles others read, and read the same thing. People can recommend funny videos or pictures. When one spends time on Facebook looking at all the entertaining things that their friends recommend, an hour will go by very quickly.
The addictiveness of the internet poses some problems other than causing shorter attention spans. For one, I felt that sometimes the internet is too distracting when I try to do schoolwork. I find myself noticing that 30 minutes has just gone by while I was casually surfing the web. In the same time, I could have completed the entire homework for a class. Slowly, I realized that better resisting looking at useless entertainment on the internet would amount to better time management, which is arguably the most important trait for a student.
So to finish, I would like to provide some tips for avoiding distractions from the internet. My first tip would be to completely shut the internet down if you can. Although sometimes you will need to do research using the internet, writing an English essay or a lab report usually does not require internet usage. If that is not feasible, one could try programs such as StayFocused, available here: http://stayfocusd.en.softonic.com/. Of course, the best option would be to grow a natural ability to focus when needed. As a student, I strongly recommend managing time wisely. There is no worse feeling than waking up tired in the morning and wishing that you had focused the night before.
Seungho Lee
T.J. High School
Intern for Christianity Daily
I have heard before that Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder cases are growing in children in the United States. Although I do not have either of those disorders or know anyone that does, I can understand why. Technology is becoming more and more user friendly and simplified. They also provide features that people could only dream of just a few years ago, for free. YouTube receives 48 hours of user provided videos every minute. That is just one example of the endlessness of the possible sources of entertainment on the internet.
Because the internet is becoming faster and simpler, people tend to adjust to the vast amount of content available, and constantly seek more. Soon enough, it becomes almost addicting, and some people cannot focus on doing one thing without thinking of some YouTube video or wanting to check Facebook, leading to shorter attention spans. I experienced this myself. Even as I write this, I want to go check some website, just for the fun of it.
It is also worth noting that popular websites like Facebook allow people to connect in many ways. Friends can see what articles others read, and read the same thing. People can recommend funny videos or pictures. When one spends time on Facebook looking at all the entertaining things that their friends recommend, an hour will go by very quickly.
The addictiveness of the internet poses some problems other than causing shorter attention spans. For one, I felt that sometimes the internet is too distracting when I try to do schoolwork. I find myself noticing that 30 minutes has just gone by while I was casually surfing the web. In the same time, I could have completed the entire homework for a class. Slowly, I realized that better resisting looking at useless entertainment on the internet would amount to better time management, which is arguably the most important trait for a student.
So to finish, I would like to provide some tips for avoiding distractions from the internet. My first tip would be to completely shut the internet down if you can. Although sometimes you will need to do research using the internet, writing an English essay or a lab report usually does not require internet usage. If that is not feasible, one could try programs such as StayFocused, available here: http://stayfocusd.en.softonic.com/. Of course, the best option would be to grow a natural ability to focus when needed. As a student, I strongly recommend managing time wisely. There is no worse feeling than waking up tired in the morning and wishing that you had focused the night before.
Seungho Lee
T.J. High School
Intern for Christianity Daily
© 2020 Christianitydaily.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
