In this age, we are surrounded by digital technology almost all day. Technology refers to all the things which are computerized. Now, almost every aspect of our lives is controlled by computerized machines. It is however yet to be looked at that even with all the smart technology around us, do the humans are still smart enough. As humans have started relying on computers more, this question has started rising more and more. This question is of utmost importance for the generation which is developed with the technology getting used everywhere around them.
Technology is the body of knowledge which is utilized for the creation of tools and the processing of activities. Technology is used for carrying out various activities in our daily lives in the form of a product or process. The use of technological products aids in extending our abilities and makes humans one important part of the technological system. It is the application of science to the problem solving of human problems. It is evident without any doubt that technology has brought about considerable benefits to human society (Cavanaugh, Giapponi, & Golden, 2015).
However, it has also some consequences as well. With the increased usage of technology in our daily lives, the analytical and cognitive skills of humans have substantially declined. It shows that technology has some adverse effects on some people, which include the teens majorly (Cavanaugh, Giapponi, & Golden, 2015).
Humans using technology extensively are feared to have reduced development of their human brains regarding cognitive ability and problem-solving. It is more inherent in the young adults and more so in the ones attending college. Technology usage has led to a decline in the attention of the college students. The problem solving and cognitive ability of the college students is declining with the reducing attention they give to important issues.
For a healthy thinking process, the initial and most important step is the attention which provides the foundation for strong observation skills. With weak attention skills, the thinking process would never be successful. Without the attention skills, other thinking activities like creativity, memory, learning, problem-solving, perception and reasoning including the decision-making skills become weak as well. The ability to pay attention and have a strong focus is significant for the growth and development of the college students (Al-Hariri & Al-Hattami, 2017).
Researchers have deduced that the attention paying ability is largely affected and shaped by the environment in which it is utilized. Like, in the past times, children used to spend more time with their books which had less distractions and required more attention and expanded imagination skills. In the current times, teens, as well as children, are usually spending more time with technology in the shape of tablets, televisions, computers and mobile phones. These activities in comparison with book reading have a different impact on the attention skills. These technological devices provide visual stimuli and distractions allowing more fragmented attention and require less need for imaginative or memory skills (Sagepub, 2018).
The use of technological devices as compared to the activity of reading books is different by its impact on the brain. Reading a book in a quiet and cool and slow-paced environment provides fewer distractions to the brain, and thus the brain can focus on thinking more in-depth about the information being provided in the book. The internet usage often is surrounded by many distractions like music, constant advertisements, popping windows, etc. which causes attention skills to become weak. It is important to notice that reading allows reflection, imagination, attention and critical thinking skills other than the pleasure in a method which technology cannot do (Flowers, Pascarella, & Pierson, 2000).
Studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between the achievements of the students and their use of technology. Even though studies have found positive benefits of the use of technology for student’s success and achievements, the long-term retention of the acquisition of skills and knowledge need interpersonal communication skills, cognitive abilities and involvement of mental and physical abilities is more needed and is to be investigated (Al-Hariri & Al-Hattami, 2017)
Another study showed that not only the use of technological devices like cell phones is very distractive, but also these are reducing the cognitive abilities of the students. The attention span has reduced exponentially with time, and the critical thinking skills have become weak from the freedom of looking up everything on the internet. It has been found that students feel stress, anxiety, isolation, and depression when they are asked to unplug themselves from their cell phones for only one day. Another study has investigated the pros and cons of cell phones in college students. It showed the cons in the shape of classroom distractions, destructive behavior, and reduced cognitive abilities (Dye, 2016).
It is true that Digital technology has proved to have an addictive presence in our lives, specifically more in the millennial student lives. While these offer selective cognitive benefits evidence have shown that these technologies are restructuring the way students think, read, and give attention, and this is not necessarily in a better way. It has been found that while certain cognitive skills are gained there are others which are found to have wasted or weakened as a result of the alterations in the millennial brain neural circuitry like that of deep-thinking capabilities. It has a significant impact on the teaching, management and practice approached (Al-Hariri & Al-Hattami, 2017).
It is true that technology has become the most important need for the today’s college students, it should be noticed that no compromise should be made on the academic trademark of commitment to analytical thinking and penetrating skills in light of the unprecedented challenges awaiting these students in the future. This suspicion of the new digital divide in the management classrooms gives rise to the need for educators to not only reflect upon how students today read and learn, but also how and what they should teach (Cavanaugh, Giapponi, & Golden, 2015).
Research studies have revealed that the wide use of technology shows both its negative and positive effects on the student memory systems and attention systems. As the youngest brains are still developing, the frequent exposure to technology is making their brains different from their previous generations. This new native digital generation is interacting more efficiently with their environment and is processing information more quickly. Technology has enabled them to be more creative and access various sources of information at the same time. However, this comes at a cost (Al-Hariri & Al-Hattami, 2017).
Learning needs attention. And without attention, all aspects of the learning, including problem-solving, reasoning, and creativity is at risk. How children develop their attention skills is mostly determined by the environment in which they live in. The modern world has thrust children into a world in which the attention of children is required more. Distraction has replaced consistent attention, and this has led to the shrinkage of the working memory. The students have now become accustomed to and are even rewarded for switching tasks constantly at the cost of sustainable attention. This changing of tasks costs a penalty (Sagepub, 2018).
When students are needed to switch one task from another, the brain is needed to reorient itself to new tasks further demanding neural resources. It can also cause cognitive overload which is a condition in which the flow of information is greater than that of the ability of the brain to store and process it. It leads to a lack of understanding of new learning, and thus it rarely translates into conceptual knowledge (Flowers, Pascarella, & Pierson, 2000).
In the end, it can be concluded that the analysis has shown that the use of technology has to be clear enough to help in the effectiveness and efficiency of the students of the college. They must make better use of this technology by making the teachers capable enough to plan for when the technology is necessary and when it should be inhibited, which can reduce the problem-solving skills and attention. It would be very hard to go back to the technology-less times totally. However, positive impacts of technological devices should be encouraged, and it should be properly managed to take into consideration all the pros and cons that it shows. By considering the total marginal effect of technology, legitimacy of each of it cannot be provided. The cons regarding its inhibiting effect on attention skills and other learning skills should be considered as well.
References
Al-Hariri, M. T., & Al-Hattami, A. A. (2017). Impact of students’ use of technology on their learning achievements in physiology courses at the University of Dammam. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 12(1), 82-85.
Cavanaugh, J. M., Giapponi, C. C., & Golden, T. D. (2015). Digital Technology and Student Cognitive Development | The Neuroscience of the University Classroom. Journal of Management Education, 40(4), 374-397.
Dye, T. (2016). The Effects of Technology on College Life. Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1120&context=senior_theses
Flowers, L., Pascarella, E. T., & Pierson, C. T. (2000). Information Technology Use and Cognitive Outcomes in the First Year of College. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(6), 637-667.
Sagepub. (2018). Impact of Technology on Attention and Memory. Retrieved from https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/64627_48_49_New_Information_on_how_technoology_affects_attention.pdf
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