- Michael Bloomberg argues that screens distract students from proven learning methods
- Students take 20 minutes to refocus after digital distractions
- True education occurs thanks to direct teacher-student engagement, not to screens
Laptops are now common in American classrooms, with almost 90% of schools providing devices to modernize education and prepare students for a digital future.
However, Michael R. Bloomberg, one of the richest and most influential personalities in the world as the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, argued that the billions spent for these laptops for students did not succeed in improving academics, going on the occasion of traditional learning and the rise in concerns concerning the decline of results.
“As a person who has built a business by developing a computer at the dawn of the digital age, I never believed that class computers were healing what the schools of Macs,” said Bloomberg.
‘Pick up books and pens’ – A call to rethink the use of laptops in classrooms
“Some of the most powerful educational interactions occur when a benevolent and well-trained teacher can look in the eyes of a student and help them see and understand new ideas,” he continued. “Machines often do not have this power.”
Bloomberg argues that instead of increasing dependence on screens, schools should encourage students to spend more time reading, writing and engaging in direct interactions with teachers and peers.
Laptop computers for teachers can improve teaching, but Bloomberg recognizes that, although students’ laptops can be useful tools, they cannot replace the value of a well -trained educator guiding students through significant learning experiences.
Studies show that excessive use of laptops in classrooms leads to distraction, students often taking up to 20 minutes to refocus after participating in non -academic activities.
Despite the general use of laptops, only 28% of students in the eighth and 24% of 12th year students are competent in mathematics, while reading scores remain low, and American students continue to late their international peers, which raises doubts about the effectiveness of generalized adoption on laptops in schools.
Although the best laptop for engineering students can support advanced calculations and specialized software, excessive screen time in general education has not resulted in an improvement in academic performance.
A post-pandemic survey has revealed that more than 25% of students spend at least five hours of class per day on screens, often engaging in educational games that fail to build a master’s degree. On the other hand, proven methods such as reading physical books and hand writing improve retention and understanding.
