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Over the past 20 years, technology has revolutionized almost every aspect of our lives. From healthcare to communication, the digital age has shaped our work, interaction and learning methods. But when we integrate these technological advances into children's classrooms, we must ask: Are we doing more harm than good?
As a practitioner, I have seen profits, but I also develop the consequences of oversales technology not only for patients but also for my own children. Classrooms, once a dynamic, face-to-face learning and interaction place, have become a virtual world dominated by screens.
Most classrooms in the US are equipped with digital devices. According to a 2020 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 90% of US public schools report that their classrooms have digital devices for educational purposes. While technology definitely has its advantages in enhancing education, it also poses many risks that have proven to have long-term consequences on children's cognitive, social and emotional development.
The classroom was once a dynamic, face-to-face learning and interaction. (istock)
Rising Attention Deficit
One of the most concerns about the impact of widespread use of technology in classrooms is the rise in attention deficits. For decades, children were used to learning through traditional methods – reading textbooks, engaged in discussions, and writing by hand. This gave them the opportunity to maintain a key skill in daily life, not only fine exercise intensity and hand and eye adjustments, but also attention.
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Children face multiple stimuli at once, including pop-up notifications, games, and social media seduction. Technology teaches children to be more easily distracted, unable to concentrate for long periods of time, and not retain information.
Research has shown that multitasking can impair cognitive functioning and makes focusing more difficult than constant switching between activities. Therefore, CDC's National Survey on Child Health shows that the prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis among school-age children is nearly doubled. Although some of the increase may be attributed to increased diagnostic criteria and increased awareness among teachers and parents, modifiable risk factors and technology exposure effects also contribute.
Loss of patience
Another surprising side effect of classroom technology is its contribution to increasing levels of anxiety in children. As demonstrated in the proportion of US children aged 3-17 diagnosed with diagnosed anxiety, children's anxiety disorders have been steadily increasing over the years, as they increased from 5.5% to 8.4% between 2009 and 2019. During COVID, the average child screening time doubled, which means that the patient's reported anxiety symptoms also doubled.
Combined with constant fire of information and the pressure to respond promptly, students often develop a sense of urgency to bring home. Students don't have to sit with a problem, reflect on it, and reach a solution through critical thinking. Technology instantly creates a culture of satisfaction, and this thinking leads to a generation that struggles with patience.
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This constant need for immediate feedback creates a cycle in which students begin to feel they cannot function without it. This in turn hinders the ability to navigate the more thoughtful processes required to solve complex problems and acquire difficult concepts. Anxiety increases when children are unable to obtain the immediate validation they have come to expect from their devices, or when learning speed does not match the pace of the digital world.
Decreased communication skills
Perhaps the deepest effect of technology in the classroom is the erosion of meaningful social interactions. In an age when screen time became synonymous with communication, students miss out on subtle yet important interpersonal skills once honed by face-to-face interactions. Conversation, empathy, and emotional intelligence – these are essential elements to helping to grow what technology simply cannot replicate.
A 2023 study found that children who spend more than three hours on screens were 60% more likely to fight basic communication skills, such as maintaining eye contact and interpreting social cues. This raises urgent concerns about the role of technology in the development of social development, a necessary pillar of civilized society.
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The need for balance
The question is not whether technology should have a place in the classroom, but of course it should be. It provides valuable tools for research, collaboration and even creativity. But there's a balance. Classrooms should not be where students are constantly plugged in.
Teachers, parents, and policy makers need to recognize the importance of limiting screen time and encouraging in-person interfaces, and reclaim pencils, paper, analog alternatives (books, white boards), and other tangible tools for learning.
Rather than replacing traditional teaching methods, we need to focus on how we use technology to complement them. Importantly, students should be provided with the opportunity to engage in meaningful, real-time interactions through group work, discussion and community building activities.
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As a parent and a doctor, I cannot emphasize this enough. The future of education is not blindly embracing the digital revolution. It is a critical balance between the powerful tools that technology offers and the proven, traditional ways of fostering mental health, a deep focus and meaningful social interactions.
Currently, without reassessing the way technology is integrated into the classroom, there is a risk that we will develop a generation that lacks cognitive resilience, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills essential to true success. The ability to think, reason and engage beyond the screen must not become a lost art.
For more information about DR, click here. Nicole Saffia
