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LVolume 21, earningNumber 3 Spring 2018 A publication for parentsT and teacherseam working ­together for children’s education ATTENTION in the age of distraction ISTOCK

In 2018, the average attention span of a human is 8 seconds … shorter than that of a goldfish IN THIS ISSUE Breaks from technology a key to health

Connectedness, brain hacking and banning cellphones

It’s possible to slow down EDITOR’S NOTE On the importance of … squirrel! … paying attention

Phil McRae Technology breaks are key to our health Editor Cory Hare The Learning Team hile modern technology may be increasing our con- generational differences and distraction, said several ave you ever found yourself W nectivity, growing evidence suggests that it’s also studies have demonstrated that the mere presence of an H feeling the constant need to leading to a loss of connectedness and making us distracted. electronic device is distracting to us. check your smartphone(s) for the latest email, tweet, This was the overarching theme of a public talk by Michael One study had people conversing with each other and text or update? Rich and Larry Rosen, two of the foremost researchers on rating each other’s trustworthiness. When there was a According to a 2015 research study by Microsoft, the impacts of technology use on people and relationships. phone nearby (any random phone), people rated each other our attention span has been reduced to that of a gold- The speakers shared their insights before a gathering of as less trustworthy than when a similarly sized notebook fish, less than eight seconds, by the numerous clicks, about 125 people at Barnett House in May 2016. was nearby. hyperlinks and constant demands of our digitally Rich, a Harvard professor who studies the ef- “The phone is really the problem, not what’s in the drenched mobile lives. Eight seconds is approximately fects of media use on children, shared the findings of an phone, but it’s the phone itself,” Rosen said. the amount of time it took you to read up to this American study revealing that half of teens and a quarter of Another study tested student performance while stu- point in my editorial. If you are still with me then let's feel addicted to technology. This same study found dents were studying with a phone ringing in the back- continue. In the year 2000 we had a 12-second atten- that 41 per cent of teens and 75 per cent of parents feel that ground that they couldn’t answer. Predictably, the students tion span; as our screens have increasingly colonized the other party is distracted by electronic devices. Finally, retained less of the study material and were more stressed. our lives, our attention span has steadily diminished. 72 per cent of teens and 48 per cent of parents feel a need to When there was a phone nearby that wasn’t ringing, stu- Since we have only so much attention to go around, respond immediately to incoming electronic messages. dents performed worse on difficult tasks but did just as well it has become a valuable resource in our digitally sat- “Think about how that disrupts our relationships and on simple tasks. urated era. It has, in fact, become a new field of study our connection with each other,” Rich said. “Devices that Rosen recommends telling kids that they “can have a phone known as “attention economics.” This edition of The increase our connectivity functionally disconnect us.” around, only when they’re doing something very simple.” Learning Team explores how human beings manage Rich also shared data from another recent U.S. study that He cited other evidence that media use itself is associ- information and the implications of our new habits of painted a picture of distracted . The study revealed ated with poorer health in children and youth, even when mind on society and on learning. that 73 per cent of parents use electronic devices while eating accounting for exercise and nutrition. It is an important conversation to follow as the with their children, which results in 20 per cent fewer verbal First among his recommendations for fostering health: French government recently (December 2017) banned interactions and 39 per cent fewer nonverbal interactions. time away from technology as this trains the brain to stop all mobile phone use in schools for students 15 years of That same study showed that 30 per cent of playground producing anxiety-laden chemicals and instils much-need- age and younger. In France this ban is being discussed parents are distracted by screens, leading to a threefold in- ed calmness, he said. It also enables children to practise as a matter of public health, where distraction from crease in the likelihood of their children taking physical risks. creative thinking and face-to-face communication skills. smartphones has been blamed for negative impacts on “One of the things that we might want to think about is not “It’s really important to ensure that your kids ... actually student achievement and declines in outdoor free . stimulating ourselves every second of every day,” Rich said. look at your face and learn what cues mean,” he said. You may hear people argue that children are multi- To dial down the stimulation, Rich advocates for tak- For young children, Rosen recommends that technology taskers and able to easily navigate the world’s many ing a “digital Sabbath” one day each week. The suggestion be used at a ratio of about 1:5, meaning five hours away from digital distractions, but multitasking is a myth. A tends to draw shocked reactions (including throughout the technology for every hour spent using it. As children get large body of research has documented the finite abil- Barnett House audience), but Rich said he’s had many hy- older and their need to use electronics for school increases, ities of human beings, old and young, to take on dif- perconnected people test out the idea. that ratio can gradually shift toward an upper limit of 5:1. ferent activities simultaneously. What we are learning “When they try it, they feel liberated,” he said. “We need “It never goes to zero, meaning all technology all the is that human beings can only switch from one task the space to find ourselves and to centre ourselves and to time,” he said. to another—a process called switch-tasking. We may be present with ourselves and for each other.” try to pay simultaneous attention to many things, but Electronic presence is distracting in fact we are only paying a “continuous partial at- Cory Hare is the managing editor of The Learning Team. tention” to that which is before us. This is not a great Rosen, a research psychologist from California State This article was originally published in the ATA News on strategy for learning, nor is it a productive one for in- University whose specialties include multitasking, June 14, 2016. teracting with others and building relationships. As Dr. Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and author of Alone Together, states, “Teenagers talk about the idea of having each other's ‘full attention.’ They grew DISTRACTED OR ADDICTED? up in a culture of distraction. They remember their parents were on cellphones when they were pushed Growing Up Digital (GUD) Alberta is a 10-year, collaborative research project that examines the scope of the physical, on swings as toddlers. Now, their parents text at the mental and social consequences of digital technologies on Alberta’s children and youth. dinner table and don’t look up from their BlackBerry when they come for end-of-school day pickup.” Many questions about the impact of the atten- People are having a hard time being away from their tion economy and digital distraction on children are phones. They are living their lives through a screen instead of starting to bubble up across Canada. Some of my more immediate questions are: To what extent are actually taking in what is happening around them through smartphones, apps, websites and social media being their own eyes. uniquely engineered to subconsciously hook and hold — Alberta our attention (a.k.a. brain hacking)? How will the growing economy for our children’s attention affect their habits of mind and learned abilities to critically reason and/or read deeply as they grow into adult- hood? To what extent is digital distraction leading to more incidents of physical and emotional neglect? Are there epigenetic effects (inherited changes in gene expression) if parents are so negatively distracted from their babies that it results in new toxic stressors? Is distraction to be found on a continuum towards digi- of parents feel tal addiction? of parents feel 22% their children 30% “addicted” to are “addicted” to technology of grandparents We are all guilty of being alone together. their own technology with with the areas of greatest 36% believe their Time to pay attention. social media as the area of dependence being watching grandchild is “addicted” Be present. greatest dependence. videos and video games. to technology. 

Dr. Phil McRae is an executive staff officer with the We live in a digital world and using this technology is a great advantage to everyone. I believe that we need Alberta Teachers’ Association and an adjunct professor proper instruction in understanding this technology in the education system that I wish existed in my time. in the faculty of education at the University of Alberta. — Alberta grandparent

2 The Learning Team, Spring 2018 In the classroom I think schools and 68% believe their child’s use of technology at school parents play an is ABOUT RIGHT. equal role in ABOUT RIGHT developing good 26% of parents believe their TOO MUCH child’s use of technology at habits with school is TOO MUCH. technology.

6% of parents believe their — Alberta parent child’s use of technology TOO LITTLE at school is TOO LITTLE.

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Facebook advocates for In the media ... about the media ‘engaged social media use’ In a post entitled Hard Questions: Is Spending Time on Social Media Bad for Us?, two re- Facebook exploits human psychology, says its first president searchers employed by Facebook — David Ginsberg and Moira Burke — offered a sum- In November 2017, Facebook’s founding president Sean Parker shared his thoughts about Facebook and mary of recent research on the issue of social other social media platforms with the online media outlet Axios. media use and its effects on people’s lives. What he said: While acknowledging the work of social • “The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, media researchers like Sherry Turkle and Jean ... was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’ Twenge, who have exposed the potential pitfalls • “… we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or of social media use, the post points to other commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that’s going to get you to contribute more con- research that suggests that actively interacting tent, and that’s going to get you ... more likes and comments.” with others via social media is linked to im- • “It’s a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would provements in well-being. come up with, because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.” “We want Facebook to be a place for mean- • “The inventors, creators — it’s me, it’s Mark [Zuckerberg], it’s Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it’s all of ingful interactions with your friends and fam- these people — understood this consciously. And we did it anyway.” ily — enhancing your relationships offline, not detracting from them,” the post states. The full article is available at www.axios.com. The article is available at newsroom.fb.com.

Brain hacking is a public menace The real reason you can’t … “I invested early in Google and Facebook. Now they terrify me.” This was the headline that ran with an opinion column published last August in USA Tod ay. The squirrel! … concentrate anymore author was Roger McNamee, a long-time technology innovator and investor. In video essay for the Fusion Media Group, Although technology has transformed our lives mostly for the better, “the unintended consequences filmmaker Adam Westbrook points out that of well-intentioned product choices have become a menace to public health and to democracy,” throughout history every new technology, in- McNamee wrote. cluding books, has been considered a threat This is because, in an effort to gain and maintain consumer attention, digital entities like Facebook to people’s ability to concentrate. However, he and Google have borrowed techniques from the gambling industry in order to exploit human nature by maintains that people haven’t lost their ability “creating addictive behaviors that compel consumers to check for new messages, respond to notifications, to concentrate, as demonstrated by the fact that and seek validation from technologies whose only goal is to generate profits for their owners.” we can still read books and sit through feature- “Like gambling, nicotine, alcohol or heroin, Facebook and Google — most importantly through its length movies. YouTube subsidiary — produce short-term happiness with serious negative consequences in the long Westbrook asserts that the Internet is rife with term. Users fail to recognize the warning signs of addiction until it is too late. There are only 24 hours in potential distractions, in the form of hyperlinks, a day, and technology companies are making a play for all them,” McNamee wrote. because the medium is now dominated by the He goes on to outline how Facebook is able to target ads at users who are sad or depressed, states pursuit of advertising revenue, and, thus, is set which make them more susceptible to advertising. Facebook has also demonstrated that it’s able to make up to encourage users to click as many links and users happier or sadder by manipulating their news feed. windows as possible. “Facebook influences the emotional state of users every moment of every day. Former Google design “If you haven’t been able to concentrate for a ethicist Tristan Harris calls this ‘brain hacking.’” while, maybe it’s because someone doesn’t want you to,” Westbrook says. The article is available at www.usatoday.com. The video is available on YouTube under the title: This is the real reason you can’t concentrate France to ban cellphones in schools anymore. In December the French government announced that, beginning in the next school year, it will ban students from using mobile phones in primary, junior and middle schools. Children will be allowed to bring their phones to school but will be prohibited from having New book highlights effects them out at any time until they leave, even during breaks. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said the measure was a “public health message to .” of technology “It’s good that children are not too often, or even at all, in front of a screen before the age of seven,” This new book by renowned he said. psychologist and author Jean Twenge looks at the differences embodied by members of iGen, those born in the mid-1990s and (Dis)Connected, Distracted or Addicted? later. This is the first generation to spend their entire adoles- Understanding the Smartphone Generation cence in the age of the smart- phone. With social media and texting replacing Evening public lecture with Prof. Jean Twenge and Dr. Michael Rich other activities, iGen spends less time with their Learn about the promise and peril of technology for children, youth, friends in person, which is perhaps why they are families and communities. experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness. As this new group of young people grows into Thursday, April 5, 2018 Tickets: $10 each; $50 for 6 adulthood, we all need to understand them, Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton Includes a wine and cheese reception and members of iGen also need to understand themselves as they communicate with their el- For more information or to register online, visit http://bit.ly/smartphonegeneration ders and explain their views to their older peers, Hosted by the Alberta Teachers' Association in partnership with the ATA Educational Technology Council. because where iGen goes, so goes our nation — and the world.

The Learning Team, Spring 2018 3 We are in the midst of a My advice is for you to sit him to take control of his profound sea change in the down with your son during time, get the tasks he wants Ask the Mediatrician way we entertain ourselves. a quiet moment (not while to get done accomplished, Once a culture that gath- he is using media!) and and still have time for lei- ered together in theaters ask him to reflect on how sure activities, including his and living rooms to share he spends his time each favourite media. narrative experiences, we day. Have him consider All of your parenting now plug in earbuds and the tasks and activities he has helped build your son stare at our personal screens, needs to accomplish (eat- into the high-achieving, enjoying content tailored to ing, sleeping, school, home- college-bound teen he is our own interests. work, etc.) as well as those today. Throughout his Adolescence has long he wants to do (spending life, you have been mod- been a developmental stage time with friends, sports, eling, then transferring during which youth evolve music, maybe even creating to your son skills such as from consuming common, something new). discipline, responsibility, broadmarket entertainment Instead of trying to respect and mindfulness. to an individualized media convince your son that Teaching him to harness diet that reflects their per- watching endless videos is and direct his precious Advice for helping your sonalities. Media producers a waste of time, help him time and attention is a teen navigate the pitfalls of are well aware that their recognize and respect the culmination of your role as target audience is curating value of his time and at- a parent. You have shown digital media personalized playlists of tention (perhaps by show- him how valuable his time music and videos, and they ing him how much money and attention are, now it is ISTOCK are actively marketing con- is spent to capture and his turn to take control of tent aimed at keeping their hold him). Empower him how he spends them. Q: How can I help my teen that when he goes to col- of increasingly younger young users engaged. to develop critical think- Enjoy your media and use focus and stop procrastinat- lege next year, he will not children as well. As tech- The brilliance of ing about the media he is them wisely, ing with media? get anything done without nologies evolve and digital YouTube and other so- consuming and how it is parental supervision and content spreads, it becomes cial media is in their affecting him. The Mediatrician My 17-year-old son spends goading. What can I do? easier and easier to get lost algorithms, which target Even though he is doing four to five hours at a time in the endless stream of programming and adver- OK in school, it’s very pos- on YouTube, clicking end- Worried about my web information and entertain- tisements to individuals’ sible that he could be doing This article was originally lessly from one sports com- crawler, Boston, MA ment in our pockets and interests. These carefully much better if he spent his published on the website of edy show to another. He is on screens all around us. calibrated tools feed view- time and attention wisely. the Center on Media and doing OK in high school, A: Dear Worried Helping your son self-reg- ers content based on what As an aspiring college Child Health (CMCH) at but will binge watch or fol- Your concern about a ulate his screen media use they like, effectively keeping student, your son knows http://cmch.tv. Dr. Michael low links from site to site digitally distracted child and focus his attention is their eyes and ears focused, that his performance and Rich, also known as “The until the wee hours. I can’t is shared by many par- a critical part of parenting and consuming as much of the habits he is forming Mediatrician,” is the cen- get him to put the phone or ents—not just of college- today and of preparing your their time and attention as now will affect him into the tre’s director. Used with laptop down. I am worried bound adolescents, but son for college and beyond. possible. future. Make a plan with permission.

where everyone is supposed to be gloriously relaxed, they and enjoying the Slow down: It’s not talk of “curling parenting”: picture mum and dad franti- game. Families and cally sweeping the ice in front of their child. communities are only necessary, it’s Of course, not all childhoods are created equal. You holding screen-free don’t find many children being hyperparented in the refu- days to encourage possible gee camps of Sudan or the shantytowns of Latin America. children to play Even in the developed world, millions of youngsters, es- outdoors. pecially in poorer families, are more likely to suffer from As part of the Carl Honore underparenting than overparenting. Slow Education Let’s be honest, most helicopter parents hail from the movement, schools all began at a parent–teacher evening. middle class. But that does not mean this cultural shift af- are curbing the ob- It “Your son really stands out,” gushed the Year 2 art fects only the well-to-do. When it comes to social change, session with exams teacher. “He’s a gifted young artist.” And there it was, the middle classes usually set the tone. Already hyper- and trimming the that six-letter word that is music to the ears of every par- parenting is eroding social solidarity because the more academic workload ent: gifted. obsessed people become with their own children, the less — and finding that That same night, I started searching for an art tutor to interested they become in the welfare of other people’s. when pupils have nurture my son’s “gift.” Visions of raising the next Picasso It’s good for children to strive and compete, but when more time to relax, swam through my mind — until the next morning. childhood becomes a race to perfection, everyone pays a reflect and take “Daddy, I don’t want a tutor, I just want to draw,” my sev- price. Children are suffering from more sports injuries, charge of their en-year-old son told me. “Why do grown-ups always have to obesity, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, self-harm and eat- Author Carl Honore is an SUPPLIED own learning, they take over everything?” ing disorders. Parents are burned out from juggling work advocate for slowing down. learn better. His question stung because he was right. I was trying to with the sky-high demands of modern childrearing. Even elite uni- take over — and for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully, there is a movement to dial down the pres- versities are singing the same tune. Harvard sent a letter Of course, the impulse to micromanage children is not sure. It’s called slow parenting. urging students to set aside enough time to rest, daydream new. Two thousand years ago, a schoolteacher named Lucius “Slow” means giving children the time and space to and just hang out with friends. The title of that letter: Orbilius Pupillus identified pushy parents as an occupa- explore the world at their own pace, to play without adults Slow Down! tional hazard in the classrooms of ancient Rome. When getting in the way, to get bored even. After all, that is how Of course, you cannot do slow parenting if you yourself the young Mozart made prodigies fashionable in the 18th kids learn to think, create, socialize and take pleasure from are stuck in fast forward. Well, you can, but only up to a century, many Europeans hothoused their own kids in the things; it’s how they work out who they are. point. To raise a child who is healthy, happy, calm, reflec- hope of creating a wunderkind. By limiting screen time and structured activities, slow tive and able to live in the moment, you must be all those In recent times, however, such micromanaging has be- parenting also ensures that families spend enough time to- things yourself. That means slowing down your life beyond come the norm, turning parenting into a cross between a gether doing stuff that is immensely valuable but will never parenting. competitive sport and product development. In this culture appear on a resumé: chatting, cooking and eating, playing This is hard but not impossible. I know because I did it of soaring expectations, we feel obliged to push, polish and games, going for walks, reading and telling stories, or just myself — and now I am a slow parent. protect our children with superhuman zeal. Think Baby sharing a cuddle on the sofa. Here is some proof. When my son’s school opened a Einstein DVDs, Mandarin-speaking and sched- The aim is to strike a balance between the free-range sketching club, I remained calm, backed off and let him ules packed with ballet, football, drama, tutoring, tennis, nature of pre–21st-century childhood and the structure choose whether to join. I had finally understood that it was hockey, piano, judo. and technology on offer in the modern world. his decision, not mine. Around the world this winner-takes-all approach to chil- Change is coming. Towns across North America now Let’s just hope I remember that lesson when it comes drearing has different names. Some call it hyper-parenting. give children a breather by cancelling all homework and time to organize his first exhibition at the Tate Gallery! Others refer to “helicopter parents” who always hover over- extracurricular activities on certain days. Sports leagues head. Canadians joke about “snow-plow parents” who clear are banning pushy parents from the sidelines and shifting Carl Honore is the author of three books: In Praise of Slow, a perfect path through life for their kids. Even in Scandinavia, the emphasis away from winning at all costs to learning The Slow Fix and Under Pressure.

The Learning Team is ­published by the Alberta Teachers’ Association.­ ­Editorial offices­ are located at 11010 142 Street NW, The Edmonton, Alberta T5N 2R1. Telephone: 780-447-9438 in Edmonton­ or 1-800-232-7208 toll free in Alberta. Fax: 780-455-6481. We ­welcome your comments and opinions.

earningTeam Editor: Philip McRae Managing Editor: Cory Hare Copy Editor: Sandra Bit Designer: Teagan Zwierink L www.teachers.ab.ca ISSN 1480-7688 4 The Learning Team, Spring 2018