Speaker
Description
Supported by research findings, Brain-friendly Study Skills proposes a bottom-up, holistic approach to learning for you and your students. The mobile phone is taking a large portion of student life, affecting both their health and academic performance, but are we educators entirely safe from such a harm? And can we make changes with such a now-integral aspect of life? This session delves into the risks of screen time and provide practical solutions using digestible science.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
A tremendous amount of research has pointed out an array of cognitive risks digital devices have on us, with the mobile phone standing out for its accessibility, portability, and addictiveness. Young children’s developing brains are particularly susceptible to such effects. They have been observed to suffer from lack of concentration, difficulty in emotion regulation, lower communication skills, lower academic performance, ADHD or ASD-like symptoms, sleep related problems, and atypical brain development amongst others. Similar problems have also been reported for adolescents, and adults are not entirely immune to them. However, such findings are not yet widely known to the public.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This workshop aims to initiate changes for safer environment in using digital devices by providing educators with knowledge and tools that come from reliable sources such as research findings from neuroscience and related fields. Reliability is particularly essential considering the current trend of constant misinformation onslaught that blind young people and their caregivers alike, but more importantly because such blindness is aggravated by screen time, on which the session will expand.
Abstract section 5: References
Girela-Serrano, B. et al. (2024). Impact of mobile phones and wireless devices use on children and adolescents’ mental health: a systematic review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33 (6).
Hale, L. & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21.
Lissak, G. (2018). Adverse physiological and psychological effects of screen time on children and adolescents: Literature review and case study. Environmental Research, 164.
Owusu-Marfo, J. et al. (2018). The Effect of Smart mobile devices usage on Sleep Quality and academic performance – A Narrative Review. Canadian Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 6(2).
Ragupathi, D. et al. (2020). Relations of Bedtime Mobile Phone Use to Cognitive Functioning, Academic Performance, and Sleep Quality in Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19).
Takeuchi, H. et al. (2018). Impact of frequency of internet use on development of brain structures and verbal intelligence: Longitudinal analyses. Human Brain Mapping, 39(11).
Wilmer, H.H. et al. (2017). Smartphones and Cognition: A Review of Research Exploring the Links between Mobile Technology Habits and Cognitive Functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 8.
Young, K.S. (2004) Internet Addiction: A New Clinical Phenomenon and Its Consequences. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(4).
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Successful completion of the session is expected to raise the participants’ awareness of 1) their own state of digital device use―such as level of dependency and usage tendency, 2) cognition and learning-related risks involved in the abuse of digital devices―such as neural state in screen gazing and brain development or alteration, 3) why merely using a device can harm the user―through the abused dopamine loop, random rewarding, and multi-tasking, and finally, 4) simple but easy-to-adopt strategies to reduce the risks―from phone-free hour to forming such a habit to name a few.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The participants will first assess their own Internet dependence using a well-established psychometric tool. Then they learn, both individually and in pairs or small groups through communicative activities, about IT top figures’ attitude to digital devices, a range of negative effects of screen time, how those effects are brought on, and about strategies to protect themselves and those in their care. Finally, they will plan for actions that cater to their own needs and situations.
| Title | Brain-friendly Study Skills: Beware of the Mobile Phone |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |