Phones- the distractor. Written by a 17-year-old.

Apparently, the average number of times to check your phone for notifications is 58 times a day! Are adults any less affected than their teens?

This article outlines a teenager's view of social media and there are arguable some valid messages for all adults. How easily are we distracted by what we consider important in our digital space, even if it isn't social media?

We discourage cell phone usage in class. Our students should have a device they can use for learning activities. Yet, many of them say they 'need' to answer a text from home straightaway. We have become the instant age. We endorse procedures around not using cell phones in class, yet we still text or message our children at any time that suits us. And they are checking.... on average 58 times a day. We then ask questions about the length of time a student can stay focused on a task without interruption. 

I encourage you to read the article because it is always worthwhile challenging ourselves as well as supporting our young people to navigate their digital space.