Technology and Distractions in the Classroom

“Self-control is crucial for the successful pursuit of long-term goals. It is equally essential for developing the self-restraint and empathy needed to build caring and mutually supportive relationships.” 

- Walter Mischel (Stanford Researcher and Author) 

Control over technology and distractions in the classroom is key to building success in students both academically and characteristically as people. Over the years of being a student, as well as now on the teaching side of things in classrooms, I've noticed the difference in classes where there are strict phone policies vs. where there are none. Students these days are simply addicted to there phone and it seriously affects success in the classroom. Last year I was in a class where if a phone was even visible there were extreme punishments, and our teacher shared at the end of the year that over 75% of kids had received an A. He was convinced this was due to the limiting of our main distraction which improved our focus in class, and compared to the other classes who were allowed their phones during class we received much higher grades. I know there still may be many factors that went into our success versus theirs, but I agree with my teacher that the harsh phone policy was in part crucial to our success that year. 

I do believe the limiting of technology and distractions in classrooms is something that plays a very important role in students' success and futures. If students can master the practice of self-control or delayed gratification in the classroom, especially with the use of technology, they can learn a valuable lesson and skill that will not only drastically improve their academic success, but also their life, goals, work, and relationships outside of school.