Effects of Screen Time on Students: Why Focus Is Declining and How Teachers Can Fix It

Photo by Fajar Herlambang STUDIO

This academic year, I was promoted to teach secondary Biology from teaching Year 3 Science. It was an exciting jump for me; I get to teach and cultivate the love of science to the same kids that I taught in Year 3 as their Science teacher. The excitement I started the academic year with has evolved into a bit of worry. I noticed students did not like reading their notes, textbooks or engaging in deliberate study. Many preferred quick summaries, YouTube explainers, or AI-generated answers over sitting quietly with their class notes or textbooks.

Apparently, this is normal amongst the students in the secondary school. I had a feeling our school’s increasing use of digital devices was at fault, but I did not have the data to prove it. After engaging with more teachers about student learning habits and general academic performance, as well as talking to students about their device usage, it dawned on me that the problem was not a lack of ability but a shift in how their brains have been trained to process information. A direct result of prolonged exposure to digital devices and extended screen time.

Research on Screen Time and Student Attention

Today’s students live in an environment saturated with screens: phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions. From morning until night, their brains are constantly stimulated by short bursts of dopamine from quick digital rewards: notifications, reels, memes, and games. This continuous stimulation reshapes how the brain engages with information. Reading, once a natural and immersive act, now feels boring or too slow compared to the instant gratification of scrolling  (Alter, 2017).  Cognitive scientists refer to this as the “shallowing effect”, a reduced capacity for deep focus, reflection, and sustained comprehension (Carr, 2010). This “shallowing effect” has resulted in students reading words but rarely processing them.

Even as an adult, I have to sometimes intentionally and painfully disengage from my digital devices and force myself to read a physical book or perform a digital detox where I drastically reduce my usage of digital devices. Research suggests that frequent task-switching and media multitasking can impair working memory and attention control, both of which are essential for deep learning (Madore & Wagner, 2019). Our students skim instead of studying. They memorise briefly instead of understanding deeply. And when faced with tasks that demand critical thinking, they often freeze; not because they’re incapable, but because their attention spans have been hijacked. In lessons, this may be observed when students read a question and the answers they write down do not answer the question at all! You will be surprised that these same students will be able to give you the correct answer if you were to ask them the question orally. 

Effects of Screen Time: The Consequences for Learning

The effects of screen time on students extend beyond distraction. They quietly reduce the ability of students to pause, read and study deeply, creating ripple effects across every aspect of a student’s academic life:

• Weakened comprehension: Students struggle to interpret instructions or connect concepts.

• Reduced retention: Information absorbed passively doesn’t stick long-term.

• Surface-level understanding: Learners can reproduce notes but fail to apply concepts in new contexts.

• Increased anxiety: As performance drops, confidence follows. Many begin to believe they “just aren’t good at studying.”

  
  

Educational psychology research consistently shows that deep, effortful processing leads to stronger memory and transfer of learning, whereas passive exposure leads to rapid forgetting (Craik & Lockhart, 1972; Dunlosky et al., 2013). Understanding the effects of screen time on students helps teachers see that this is not merely a discipline problem or lack of motivation. It is a cognitive challenge that requires intentional strategies to rebuild focus, stamina, and meaningful learning.

Practical Classroom Solutions

If screens have trained our students’ minds for instant stimulation, then the classroom must now serve as a gym for deep focus. The goal is not to demonise technology, but to retrain students to find satisfaction in sustained thought.

Here are a few practical strategies that can help:

1. Model the Process of Studying

Many students no longer know how to study. Explicitly teach note-reviewing, summarising, and question-making as skills, not assumptions. Show them how to engage with text: underline key points, create diagrams, or paraphrase in their own words. Explicit strategy instruction has been shown to improve comprehension and independent learning (Hattie, 2009).

2. Introduce Short Reading Intervals

Instead of assigning 30 minutes of reading, start with 10 focused minutes, followed by reflection or discussion. Gradually increase this over time. It is about rebuilding endurance, one session at a time.

3. Incorporate “Device-Free” Study Challenges

Set aside specific times or spaces in your class where all devices are off-limits. Framing it as a challenge often motivates students to test their self-discipline.

4. Blend Digital and Traditional Tools

Rather than rejecting technology outright, use it purposefully. Encourage students to create flashcards on Quizlet after reading, or to record short audio summaries of what they learned. The key is to make tech serve learning, not replace it.

5. Reward Depth, Not Just Correctness

When marking assignments, praise evidence of thought; reflections, examples, or self-corrections. Students should learn that what matters is not just having the right answer, but understanding why it’s right.  Retrieval practice and elaboration strengthen understanding more than simply recognising correct answers (Dunlosky et al., 2013).

Conclusion 

We are teaching a generation that has never known a world without screens. Their challenge is not a lack of intelligence or effort, but a lack of sustained attention. Our role is to guide them back toward meaningful learning through structure, empathy, and patience.

Progress will take time, but every moment a student learns to slow down, read carefully, and think deeply is a victory. When we help students rediscover the joy of learning, we are rebuilding not just study habits, but the foundation of lifelong curiosity and growth.

References

Alter, A. (2017). Irresistible: The rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked. Penguin Press.

Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671–684.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.

Madore, K. P., & Wagner, A. D. (2019). Multicosts of Multitasking. Cerebrum : the Dana forum on brain science, 2019, cer-04-19.