Technology addiction disrupts teenage learning

(PhysOrg.com) -- Technology addiction amongst teenagers is having a disruptive effect on their learning, according to new research published today by Cranfield School of Management (UK). Over a third (39.3%) of 11-18 year olds surveyed admitted that text shortcuts damaged the quality of their written English, particularly in terms of spelling.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Kakabadse, Professor of International Management Development at Cranfield School of Management said: “Our research shows that technology obsession hinders spelling skills, implicitly encourages plagiarism, and disrupts classroom learning. Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage, students use the phone frequently, with the majority making calls from the toilets. The mobile phone continues to be a prime channel of social communication during the school day.”

The study also examined how different technologies were used in an education context. “Shockingly,” said Professor Andrew Kakabadse, “a high proportion of teenagers (59.2%) admitted to inserting information straight from the internet into schoolwork, without actually reading or changing it. Almost a third (28.5%) deemed this as acceptable practice despite recognising that such behaviour is considered plagiarism.”

The survey confirmed that access to technologies occurs at an early age with the emerging sequence being access to a computer before the age of eight, use of the internet between the ages of five and ten, use of a mobile phone between the ages of eight and ten and access to a social network between the ages of eleven and thirteen.

Over 60% of the respondents admitted to being “very” or “quite” addicted to the internet, while over 50% are addicted to their mobile phones. The report also revealed that students spend, on average, 1-2 hours a day on social network sites.

The full report, Techno addicts - young person addiction to technology is published by Cambridge-based Sigel Press as an electronic whitepaper download and is available at http://www.sigelpress.com/ .

Provided by Cranfield University

   

• docknowledge - Sep 10, 2009
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  This behavior, where teens in many cases aren't even aware that cut-and-pasting school large pieces of school assignments is wrong is discussed in "The Cheating Culture" [http://www.cheati...ure.com/] Recommended and frightening.
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• eric_in_chicago - Sep 10, 2009
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  Perhaps they just have crappy teachers that don't know how to teach writing and research skills.
  
  Uh, if they put their cut-and-paste in quotes and list the URLs as references, then they wouldn't be plagiarizing.
  
  But they would have to have been taught how to write a paper in the first place in order to know this...
  
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• Birthmark - Sep 10, 2009
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  I LOVE technology, and the future, and I love using technology, but I don't let it interfere with my everyday life, nor do I take it for granted.
  
  Ever since I had a phone (and I texted a lot!) I used correct grammar, I don't know what my motivation was, but at least I had it XD
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• getgoa - Sep 11, 2009
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  Technology must be the wicked invention located here?---The Lord shall send upon thee famine and hunger, and a rebuke upon all the works which thou shalt do: until he consume and destroy thee quickly, for thy most wicked inventions, by which thou hast forsaken me. Deutoronomy Chapter 28 verse 20 Douay-Rheims bible. If I am reading between lines correctly of this article and the biblical sayings of Deutoronomy and Esdras(chpater4) written account of Artaxerxes from Persia is that war will repeat soon?
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