Technology addiction among teenagers is having a disruptive
effect on their learning, according to research by Cranfield School
of Management.
More than 60% of 11 to 18 year olds surveyed by Cranfield said
they were "very" or "quite" addicted to the internet, and over 50%
were addicted to their mobile phones. Students spend, on average,
one to two hours a day on social network sites, the research
revealed.
39.3% said that texting damaged the quality of their written
English, particularly in terms of spelling.
"Shockingly, a high proportion of teenagers (59.2%) admitted to
inserting information straight from the internet into schoolwork,
without actually reading or changing it. Almost a third (28.5%)
deemed this as acceptable practice despite recognising that such
behaviour is considered plagiarism," said Andrew Kakabadse,
professor of international management development at Cranfield.
"Our research shows that technology obsession hinders spelling
skills, implicitly encourages plagiarism, and disrupts classroom
learning. Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage,
students use the phone frequently, with the majority making calls
from the toilets. The mobile phone continues to be a prime channel
of social communication during the school day."
The survey found that youngsters start to access the internet
between the ages of five and 10, get a mobile phone between the
ages of eight and 10, and start accessing social networks between
the ages of 11 and 13.
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