Today, screens have become a huge part of our daily lives. Even at school, in most classes, students are constantly using their computers. While technology offers students great benefits, there can also be side effects to an excessive amount of screen time. For example, it might affect the sleep schedule of the average student. Out of the students interviewed their screen time was from three to six hours a day. This might not seem like a lot, but the big concern was whether this time was taking away from time for doing homework. Devices tend to take people out of the world and not be social with the people around them every day.
“My phone does not distract me from doing my homework. I am able to stay focused,” senior Olivia Wheat said.
On the other hand, junior Olivia Chen explains that dopamine screens distract your brain.
“My phone distracts me from my homework because a message pops up and I want to go check it and reply. I feel really guilty after spending time on my phone because I felt like I wasted time, and did not get anything important done,” Chen said.
Screens aren’t always detraction though, sometimes they can be helpful for getting information for homework.
“I do not see my device as a distraction because I need my device to do my homework,” sophomore Lance Carroll said.
Freshman Newman Attaway mentioned that while you might be tired, you stay awake for longer because of the distraction of your device.
“My phone does affect the time I go to sleep because sometimes I’m already ready to go to sleep, but I end up scrolling on my phone for a while before I actually go to sleep,” Attaway said.
Even though screens tend to take over students’ time, they still manage to get schoolwork done and not be too stressed. All of the students interviewed said that school was not too stressful for them.
“For me, school is not very stressful, especially since it is my senior year and I have several free periods,” Wheat said.
While students are constantly using devices, some students say limiting screen time is important for homework and socializing.
“I create screen time limits so I can reduce the amount of time I am on my device. This way, I can stay productive and not fall behind on schoolwork,” Attaway said.