How Does Technology Affect Education Negatively?

Technology has revolutionized various fields and industries, including the education sector. It has brought massive changes to how we approach learning. While tech has undeniable contributions to the improvement of education, it also has some downsides. The question is this: how does technology affect education negatively?.

From traditional classroom setups, technology paved the way for remote classes through video conferencing tools. Tech also provided teachers with more teaching tools that go beyond the traditional chalkboard.

But just like any development, technology has also its negative impact on education, which we discussed below.

How does technology affect education negatively?

Technology has played a big role in the improvement of the education sector. But while it has a lot of benefits for learning, there’s also a negative side to it.

It’s important to recognize these downsides so educators and institutions alike can minimize them in their practice.

Here are a few that are prominent today:

1. Distracting students from their studies

The biggest downside of technology in learning is the risk of distraction. It’s because many students, especially young ones, have associated computers and mobile devices with gaming and recreation.

Overall, at least 60% of educational institutions in the world are using mobile devices as part of learning. This setup proved to be a two-edged sword.

On the upside, the utilization of mobile devices helps with faster access to information and interaction with teachers. However, these devices can also be used to access social media, mobile games, and other platforms not related to schoolwork.

This is why guardians have an important job of setting up parental controls on their children’s devices. Teachers, on the other hand, have to ensure that school-provided devices also have these restrictions.

Aside from changing device settings, it’s also important to teach students discipline when accessing these tools. Parents are advised to set a schedule on which their children can use gaming apps, so they won’t be tempted to sneak during school time.

2. Reducing the creativity of students

Some experts worry that the overuse of mobile devices among students can kill their creativity in the long run. It’s because of template-based learning, which doesn’t force students to actually use their creative side.

Also, a 2010 report from Newsweek mentioned the declining creativity scores in the United States since the 1990s. This same period is when technology became more accessible and integration in schools has started.

Moreover, the report didn’t specifically indicate the reason behind the creativity decline. However, some experts speculate that it could be attributed to the long hours children spend watching TV as well as immersion in video games and mobile devices.

While these are all possibilities, creativity isn’t dead in technology. If used properly, technological advancements can actually encourage students to use their creative thinking. This is possible through digital artwork, creative writing, and more.

3. Declining good handwriting

Over the years, laptops, smartphones, and tablets have replaced the traditional pen and paper. Instead of writing manually, students now type on keyboards.

In 2012, a UK-based mailing and printing company called Docmail conducted a study, which found that 33% of people find it hard to read their own handwriting.

During the study, a third of the participants were not required to use manual handwriting for more than 6 months. By the end of the study, half of the participants admitted that the legibility of their handwriting is starting to decline.

Experts say that technology became a more attractive avenue for students due to its convenience. Also, we often anticipate words even before our hands can manually write them down. In comparison, typing it on a computer using 10 fingers is a more convenient and faster choice.

Also, more and more schools are skipping cursive writing lessons for young students. This contributes to the decline of neat handwriting in educational institutions.

Aside from handwriting, technological advancements have been observed to impact the spelling skills of students. Children that are heavily exposed to truncated versions of words in text messaging may also struggle with spelling at school.

4. Disconnecting from real-world learning

Another downside of technology in learning is it tends to disconnect students from real-world learning. The advent of distance learning took away face-to-face interaction between students and teachers. This can be challenging once students are placed back into the traditional classroom setup.

While distance learning has allowed teachers to conduct classes remotely, it also removed their interaction with students. With this setup, students can leave the discussion whenever they like. Also, teachers have no way of checking if their students are actually listening or learning.

Over time, the over dependence on technology can affect students’ social skills. It could impact a student’s ability to speak in front of an audience or to communicate with his or her classmates.

Personal interaction is a crucial aspect of learning since it allows teachers and students to read vocal and visual cues. This includes eye contact, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and more. In an online setting, these cues can be easily misinterpreted or missed.

This is detrimental, especially for very young students who are still in the development stage. If young students have gotten used to this setup, they may avoid face-to-face interactions since it’s uncomfortable for them.

5. Being an avenue for cheating

While technology is an effective platform for learning, it could also become an avenue for cheating.

It’s no secret that many students have tried to use their smartphones and smartwatches to cheat during exams. On the other hand, the internet can be used to disseminate exam leaks to students without the knowledge of the teacher.

Aside from that, distance learning also removes the teacher’s control over cheating during remote exams. It’s because online exams allow students to use a separate device to search for answers. And since the teacher isn’t physically present, nothing is stopping students to open their notes.

Overall, this problem is challenging to control. Still, educational institutions are taking necessary steps by banning mobile devices during exams and even jamming phone signals to prevent leaks and communication between students.

Moreover, teachers have to deal with the copy-paste culture. This happens when a student simply copies information from the internet for their homework and then poses it as their own.

6. Exposing students to the risk of wrong information

The internet provides students access to massive loads of information. However, this includes wrong information.

Misinformation is rampant during this era and students aren’t spared from it. If students aren’t guided well, wrong information can erode education and stymie the learning development of young children.

To be fair, even teachers aren’t immune to online misinformation. It’s the reason why educational institutions are encouraged to invest more in teaching fact-checking methods.

7. Limiting access to students from low-income families

Digital inequality is another negative effect of technology on education. Students from low-income families don’t have the same access to online learning tools as their well-off classmates.

Due to the pandemic, schools were forced to conduct online classes, which require internet connection, mobile devices, and other tools. However, not all students and families have the financial resources to access all these.

According to a New America survey, about 65% of families living below the federal poverty line have problems keeping up with distance learning. Some of them report that their children can’t attend online classes due to a lack of computer access. The same problem also resulted in some students failing to complete schoolwork.

Even if low-income families have internet connections and devices at home, the New America report found out that a majority of them are under-connected. This means that they don’t have sufficient internet speed and enough devices, citing costs as the main reason.

Also, low-income families can’t afford computer repairs or upgrades that their children need for online schooling. And while some schools and organizations help bridge this gap, it’s still not enough to cover all affected students.

8. Reducing students’ patience

Technology made information easily accessible. With just a click, students can download, print, and access tons of resources.

However, this convenience can also take its toll on the students’ patience. This is why many children exhibit impatience when experiencing slow internet speeds.

A report in The New York Times stated that technology is slowly reshaping our personalities. Some experts believe that this dependence on technology can cause impulsive behavior, impatience, forgetfulness, and even narcissistic tendencies.

While all these can happen across ages, young students are more vulnerable since they are in the development stage.

The same report from The New York Times indicated that technology is clearly interfering with the daily lives of students.

With this, schools and teachers are faced with the dilemma of balancing the benefits of technology and the dependence that may come with it.

9. Deteriorating students’ eyesight

Digital eye strain is a common concern among students who are included in a distance learning setup.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the daily use of computers in children can lead to blurred vision, eye discomfort, and symptoms of eyestrain. The same symptoms are also observed in adults who use these devices regularly.

However, children tend to have a limited degree of self-awareness when using computers. Many of them stare at computers with great concentration without breaks.

Also, non-optimum lighting at home can also make eyestrain worse for children. For example, if a young student attends an online class with a very bright screen, eyestrain will set in. Over time, this can lead to permanent damage to their vision.

This is why educators are trying to manage the screen time of students at school. However, when it comes to distance learning, maintaining healthy screen time can be a big challenge for parents.

To ensure the healthy use of technology in learning, students need to check proper posture, proper room lighting, and the glare of their computers. Routine eye exams are also necessary to correct minor eye problems before it becomes serious.

Overall, computers and mobile devices are helpful in learning if used properly and in a well-balanced manner.

Final words

Technology has been a ubiquitous part of our lives, so it’s not surprising that it’s already a staple in learning. But just like any advancement, it must be used properly to balance both the benefits and the downsides especially learning the impact of how does technology affect education negatively.

In the end, moderation and control are necessary to ensure that modern technology won’t be a bane in education.

Overall, parents, teachers, students, and institutions must work together to ensure that technology-driven learning will be beneficial, accessible, and adaptable for all.

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