Academics Ruined by a Screen

By: Artem Babayan

One of the biggest problems in school education for students is the amount of time they spend on their devices outside of school. Phones, iPads, tablets, and laptops can ruin someone's school mindset faster than others think. Teenagers are the people we know who use the internet the most, and it is important to understand the effects it can have on them.

Academic Pressure and Psychological Imbalance in High School Students states that 96% of teenagers say they use the internet outside of school, and since 2014, the percentage of teenagers who are chronically online has nearly doubled, going from 26% to 46%.

Teenagers who are in high school mainly use their devices, most commonly phones, to get away and take a break from their academic life. Over 75% of students are overwhelmed by their grades in school, yet still choose to procrastinate and tell themselves they could do their homework later. Internet, digital device access among US teens. Procrastination may feel nice at the beginning, but once tests come, you regret ever saving time in the past while doing nothing. Many teenagers have academic pressure in their school life due to the workload, scores, and tests. They fear what their parents may think if their child fails, but they are still not ready to make a difference into their problems. Surrounded by peers who have their life together makes things worse, as students often find themselves comparing their situations to those that of their friends.

According to The Impact of Screen Time, limiting time on screens helps increase scores and reduce grade drops, intentionally keeping the A and A+ instead of a B. Teenagers getting a good amount of sleep plays a big role in performing better during the day, regarding their academics: due to coming in with better focus, and having an easier time with work. Spending time on devices at night ruins sleep and makes it harder for most students to fall asleep for school. Around 70% to 87% of teens struggle with sleeping from eight to ten hours per usual. Lack of sleep causes slight memory loss in school and at events. The Impact of Screen Time. Better sleep results in clearer thinking, while sleep deprivation causes your mind to go blank. The more productive time teenagers can spend at night, and save that time for their own health, the better results they will see mentally and academically. Students with lower screen time had better sleep efficiency from 75% to 90%, less daytime sleepiness from 60% to 20%, and increased face-to-face activities and conversations. Among Teens Fearing over grades, stress, lack of sleep, and loads of homework can cause panic and anxiety attacks. Teenagers increase the usage of devices outside of school to get away from their academic problems and prevent stress in the beginning. 70% of students procrastinate, and 25% of students have the ability to adapt to procrastination.

You would never have guessed that your phone could be your biggest problem. If more teenagers start using their devices less, schools will see a lot more improvement, and students will feel a lot better about themselves. With more time spent focusing on school instead of wasting your day, you can get a good attitude going and keep those grades up. Rather than always putting yourself down, you can start making a difference and quit the negative talk.

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11724657/