Emanuel pupils are happy, confident and kind, demonstrating high aspirations in all that they do.
Digital Wellbeing Vision
Emanuel pupils are equipped to navigate the digital world safely, developing healthy habits to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
Pupils, parents and teachers work together to ensure:
• Pupils have the knowledge and skills to use technology responsibly.
• Every child is able to learn how to self-regulate and develop protective characteristics to combat the possible negative effects of technology and social media.
• Pupils develop the ability to critically evaluate information online through teaching media literacy in the Life Education programme.
• Pupils understand the importance of their digital footprint and the possible implications of their actions within the online world.
• Pupils feel safe within the online environment and know how to report any concerns.
Our Emanuel
Emanuel is a kind, supportive and friendly school and all those who are part of our community are expected to uphold its ethos. All members of our school should seek to show compassion, empathy and respect towards each other.
Put simply: being thoughtful to one another, supporting each other, and creating a warm, inclusive and non-judgemental learning environment where everyone feels valued, appreciated and can be themselves, is everyone’s responsibility.
We live in a digital world –the school’s approach
Digital technology has transformed our lives. From improving communication, healthcare, connectivity, technology has had a hugely positive impact. However, the influence it has on our brain structure and functioning is a growing concern (Firth et al, 2019)
As a school, we feel it is important to educate young people on the effects of technology on the brain and behaviour. There is a wealth of research showing the negative impacts social media and excessive phone usage has on concentration, happiness, mental health and well-being. This is why we have amended our phone policy in the lower and middle school (Years 6-11). By ensuring phones are placed in lockers for the duration of the school day, we want to support our pupils to fully engage in their studies and be able to truly connect with their peers. Recent research has suggested that social connection is one of the best protective factors against mental health
disorders such as clinical depression.We want Emanuel pupils to have a fulfilled experience at school.We provide opportunities to foster academic and intellectual curiosity, offer a wide range of co-curricular activities and invest time to ensure every pupil at Emanuel fulfils their potential.
Within our Life Education programme, we deliver sessions on digital wellbeing, online safety, and understanding the impacts of social media on body image and mental health.
In this guide, there is further information about the effects of technology on behaviour, frequently asked questions and some results from our social media studies. We hope you will find this useful and it will prompt open conversations between you and your child about the possible impact of technology.
“The Effects of Technology on the Brain and Behaviour”, an essay by Naomi Carpenter-Merritt,
Deputy Head of Sixth Form
Abstract
"The Effects of Technology on the Brain and Behaviour" explores how digital technology can significantly impact the brain structure and behaviour. Due to brain plasticity, our brains adapt throughout life, whilst heavily influenced by our experiences, which is positive in terms of learning new skills. However, this adaptability can have negative consequences. Technology affects attention, memory, and mental health. The article focuses on the addictive nature of our mobile phones and how the “like” effect can affect the dopamine functions in our brains, which in turn can have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem. The adolescent brain is still developing, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which means young people are especially vulnerable to the manipulative
techniques used within technology.
Excessive technology use has been linked to mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and has shortened attention spans, impairing memory and cognitive abilities. Media multitasking further exacerbates these issues, causing attentional deficits similar to ADHD symptoms. Moreover, reliance on technology weakens long-term memory by reducing the grey matter in the hippocampus, leading to “digital amnesia.” The article emphasises the need to reduce screen time and teach self-regulation, especially for young people, to mitigate these adverse effects on cognitive health and wellbeing.
Our unique in-house studies into the impact of social media
Disconnect to Reconnect
Over the past three years, we have run several small-scale trials, documenting the impact on mental health now titled ‘Disconnect to Reconnect’. Below you will find an overview of our studies, including the methodology and results.
The Rationale
A study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reveals that people with higher usage of social meida and technology feel socially isolated
A study by Twenge (2020) suggests there is an increase in depression, self harm, and suicide cases among young adults due to an increase in technology use.
Research has shown that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems.
Methodology
Pupils volunteered to participate in the social media trials.They were randomly allocated to either reducing their social media usage to one hour per day or only at the weekend.
Pupils completed a weekly wellbeing questionnaire, including multiple choice questions based on enjoyment of activities, happiness, social interactions, concentration levels and general mood and wellbeing.
A 2015 study found that social comparison and feedback seeking by teens using social media was linked with depressive symptoms.
From the data we analysed 5 key questions that had shown the most significant difference from the baseline data to the end of the experimental condition in week 3.
Key Questions (each rated out of 5):
• “I felt miserable or unhappy”
• “I felt grumpy and cross with other people”
• “I felt so tired I just sat around and did nothing”
• “I felt I had more energy”
• “I was able to concentrate more”
Quotes from participants
Results
In every trial, pupils have consistently reported:
• Feeling happier;
• Being less concerned with how they looked;
• Feeling less lonely;
• Building their self-esteem; and
• Improving their levels of focus and concentration.
“I felt a significant difficulty trying to separate from social media. For me, the most I use it for is stimulation. I had moved away from YouTube shorts and reels, but I always wanted something playing in the background when doing anything to stimulate my brain, such as when brushing my teeth or doing work. I resorted to YouTube videos playing in the background.”
(Year 12 student)
“Felt more productive and wasted less time scrolling through Tik Tok aimlessly, I was more motivated to complete homework, therefore getting more done and I also noticed I have been going to bed earlier and sleeping better”
(Year 12 student)
“My attention span is better :)”
(Year 11 student)
“I’ve found it easier to concentrate and I’ve enjoyed the week more than usual”
(Year 13 student)
Our next steps…
We have already implemented ‘Digital Blackouts’ in the sixth form centre. Students are encouraged to put their phones away and engage in conversation or play a friendly (or highly competitive!) game of Uno.
Back to Brick (B2B)
We launched our ‘Back to Brick’ programme last term, starting with a pilot study to identify any possible issues with the methodology. Lower sixth students voluntarily exchanged their smartphone for a ‘brick’ phone for a week. We assessed their concentration levels and general wellbeing.
As you can see from the diagrams above, the students reported a higher percentage of feeling miserable or unhappy at the start of the week. 71% of students reported that they often found it hard to think properly or concentrate compared to 75% reporting they rarely found it hard to think properly or concentrate by the end of the week.
Notably, 29% of students reported that they were often concerned with how they looked compared to 50% rarely reporting this by the end of the week. 75% of students said they slept better by the end of the week.
“I didn’t use my phone as much as I used to”
“It made me feel calmer on the whole and sometimes less overwhelmed”
Over this short period of time, we saw significant improvements to the students’ overall happiness and wellbeing. After the success of the pilot study, we asked for upper sixth volunteers to participate in B2B. We had a total of 15 students commit to the
Results
“I realised it was a waste of time to doomscroll”
“I went to sleep much earlier most nights”
3 week programme. From conducting the pilot study, we found that students felt they needed their smartphones to access apps such as maps, uber, lime bike and CityMapper, so students were allowed their smartphones over the weekend.
The results show that students felt less miserable or unhappy by the end of the study and students rarely reported that they didn’t enjoy anything. There was a significant
improvement in concentration and students felt their mood has less of an effect on their ability to complete work.
There was a considerable reduction in concerns about looks with 38% of participants reporting they often felt concerned about the way they looked compared to 33% reporting they never felt concerned. Students reported fewer accounts of loneliness and there was a significant improvement in sleep quality.
Students also stated that they felt “more productive” but acknowledged that it could be “annoying not being able to message people in group chats”. Most students said they felt the whole process was wholly positive and made them get “a lot more work done!”
Although the results show the B2B successfully improved concentration, sleep, and general wellbeing, we do have to consider some of the barriers for those students who would not voluntarily exchange their smartphone for a brick phone. Some of those issues are outlined below.
Students felt they needed their smartphones to be able to:
• Easily communicate with friends and family.
• Check Firefly and Outlook.
• Check bank balances and use Apple pay.
• Access certain apps like CityMapper, Trainline, Uber, etc.
• Transport purposes, e.g. Lime bikes.
• Take photos for certain subjects, e.g. Art, Photography.
There are ways around the above issues, and this is something we will explore moving forward. As we do live in a digital world, we need to be aware that smartphones will be the main mode of communication. However, the B2B programme allows students to recognise the impact smartphone technology can have on their mental health and wellbeing, challenging them to find ways to self-regulate.
Our approach to smartphones in the lower school
In May 2024, the school announced its intention to be ‘smartphone free’ in the Lower School (Years 6-8) by September 2026. This decision was guided by the inhouse research the school has conducted, its own observations, the large body of research evidence concerning the negative impact of smartphones on young people and the growing ‘Smartphone free childhood’ movement.
As such, parents of pupils joining the school from Year 6 (though those in Year 7 were encouraged to adopt this approach too)
were asked not to purchase smartphones for their children until Year 9 at the earliest.
This bold approach was subsequently adopted by a number of other schools in the area who followed Emanuel’s lead. The approach will now roll through the lower school with all Year 6 and Year 7 pupils asked to follow this guidance.
We appreciate that collective action provides the strongest chance of success, and we have been exceptionally encouraged by our parent community’s support here.
Parental quotes in response to Emanuel’s approach:
“I was keen to delay easy and access to social media and smart phones for as long as possible. Emanuel’s guidance helped vindicate the slightly unpopular decision to do that as there were others with nonsmart phones, and so far peer pressure hasn’t been a problem.”
“We were slightly nervous about how the Nokia brick phone stance would play out in reality - but this too has been a resounding success, and we are so grateful to you for your pioneering policy here.”
“We haven’t had a single mention of e.g being left out of a WhatsApp chat group”
“Switching from an iPhone to a Nokia has been a very positive move. She is no longer distracted by her phone. The transition wasn’t as challenging as we expected. They move on quickly. The Nokia still allows her to communicate with friends when she needs coordinate meeting etc, but the large group chats with relentless and pointless chat is a thing of the past… and she actually calls friends to talk!”
“One fewer argument at home as we don’t need to police any smartphone internet access”
“The opposition to this from the children seems to have been minimal given the messaging from school and the collective action from contemporaries.”
“Interestingly, we know a few sets of new year 7 Emanuel parents who we were at primary school with who have now removed the previously granted iPhones and replace them with Nokia brick phones.”
Our policy in practice - commonly asked questions
As part of our new digital wellbeing policy and mobile phone policy, we are advising parents not to purchase smartphones for their children.This will impact any pupil starting in Year 6 or at Emanuel from September 2025. This is to combat the negative effects of smartphones on their school experience. We want all pupils at Emanuel to fully engage in all we have to offer and develop into well-rounded individuals.
Q. Why is the school advising parents not to purchase smartphones?
The decision to ask parents not to purchase smartphones is aimed at improving focus, reducing distractions in the classroom, and promoting better social interactions. Studies show that smartphone use during school hours can negatively impact academic performance and mental well-being.
Q. How will I contact my child in case of an emergency?
In case of an emergency, parents can contact reception on 020 8870 4171.They will relay messages to pupils. Pupils can go to reception or the school office if they need to contact their parents during the school day.
Q. Will my child be allowed to have a phone in their backpack for travelling to and from school?
Yes, pupils will be allowed their phone at the end of the school day.They will place them in their locker during morning registration, but we ask parents to really reflect on the need for a smartphone and consider whether a non-smartphone would be adequate. Non-smartphones remain cheaper and, in our experience, are not the target of street robbery.
Q. What if my child uses a smartphone to check bus and train times?
Bus and train times can be checked on laptop devices, if necessary, though in the event of a delay we feel that children should be developing the skills to problem solve. The ability to ask for help at a transport hub is a life skill and, failing this, they can ring home on a non-smartphone to ask for support.
Q. What if my child uses a smartphone to monitor a medical condition (e.g., diabetes)?
Exceptions are made for pupils who need smartphones for medical purposes. Schools will work with parents and pupils to ensure medical needs are met while maintaining the integrity of the policy.
Q. What if I wish to track my child on their journey to and from school?
There is much research currently questioning whether tracking a child is helpful or is contributing
towards a degree of anxiety in young people. In essence, the tacit message to your child is that they are in danger and need to be monitored. However, if you feel this is necessary then we would encourage you to investigate alternative options such as AirTags that can be places in bags or coats.
Q. What are the general school rules around mobile phone usage?
Pupils inYears 6-11 must place their phones in their lockers during registration and are only permitted to collect them at the end of the school day (3.50pm). Students in the Sixth Form are permitted to carry their phones on them, but they are only allowed to use them in the sixth form centre.
Q. What are the consequences if my child is caught using their phone?
If a pupil has their phone (smartphone or non-smartphone) during the school day, then it will be confiscated, and a head of year detention will be issued. Parents will be notified that their child will need to sit the detention on Friday at 4pm.
Q. Do these rules apply during lunch and breaks?
Yes, this is to promote face-to-face social interactions and reduce dependence on screens. There are plenty of activities and clubs that pupils can attend or they can simply enjoy chatting and playing.
Q. How will the school teach pupils about responsible technology use if smartphones are not allowed?
Pupils will be taught about digital literacy and wellbeing within the Life Education programme. We will educate pupils about healthy screen habits, online safety, and managing their time and attention effectively.
Q. What if my child has to use their phone for a school-related issue after hours (e.g., checking assignments)?
Homework is posted via Firefly Tasks and is easy to access on a laptop or tablet.We also encourage pupils to write down their homework tasks to promote independence and accountability.
Q. Are phones permitted during school trips or co-curricular activities?
In general, trips taking place during a school week (including Saturday sports fixtures) will be subject to normal school rules. During certain elements of trips or travel, pupils may be permitted to use their phones for communication or educational purposes, but usage will be limited. Rules around the use of phones will be communicated in advance of the trip.
Q. How does the school intend to enforce the rules?
Teachers and staff are trained to monitor phone use during school hours. There is a clear process that form tutors go through with the students at the start of every day. Clear communication of the rules is given to pupils, and sanctions are enforced consistently.
Q. What about pupils who rely on smartphones for educational accommodations, like text-to-speech?
Pupils with documented learning needs that require smartphone-based accommodations will likely be exempt from the ban, and schools will collaborate with parents to ensure their children have access to the necessary technology.
Q. Is the smartphone rule permanent or just a temporary measure?
We are awaiting further guidance from the Government about mobile phone usage in educational settings. However, we strongly believe our approach will be effective in improving concentration, focus and general wellbeing.We will gather feedback from pupils, parents and teachers throughout the year.
Q. How will the rules affect school safety?
The school has emergency communication plans in place, ensuring that pupils and staff can reach necessary contacts in the event of a crisis. Removing phones from the classroom minimises distractions but does not compromise pupil safety. It will also improve safety to and from school as pupils will not have their phones out when walking home.
Q: What if I still wish to purchase a smartphone for my child?
We would ask parents to reflect carefully on this decision. There is no educational or practical reason for a child to be in possession of a smartphone before Year 9 (when most social media sites become available to them). Ultimately, should you wish to make the decision to purchase a smartphone this is your choice, though we would ask you to monitor this carefully. Some parents may even consider their child bringing a non-smartphone to school, while having a smartphone for home only.
Q: What are the school’s thoughts on the new wave of mobile devices targeted at children such as ‘pinwheel’?
At this stage we would still recommend a basic (brick) phone with text and call facilities but nothing further.While such devices may seem attractive, they still possess camera and video facilities which can present challenges too.
Q: What is the school’s approach to internet access through educational devices?
Pupils in Years 6-9 are provided with Chromebook.These devices are filtered and monitored when on-site and off-site and are centrally locked each evening from 10pm until 6am, while Surface Pros are locked from 11pm until 6am.The school is alerted of any concerning searches that are in breach of the school’s monitoring policy and will follow up with the pupils and their families normally within 48 hours should it be necessary.Where an alert is raised over the weekend or during the holidays the timeframe for any communication with a family will be extended. The school also blocks YouTube on Chromebooks from 8pm to 6am each day to focus the time that this site is used by pupils.
Q: How do I connect with other parents over this matter and seek support and guidance?
A group of Emanuel parents have created the following page (here) to provide helpful guidance and literature, advice on alternative phones and answers to common questions to other parents who might wish to follow this approach and need some mutual support.
Recommended books, podcasts, tv and films
• The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt
• It’s Complicated, Danah Boyd
• Why Social Media is Ruining your Life, Katherine Ormerod
• Who’s Raising the Kids? Susan Linn
• Over the Influence, Kara Alaimo
• Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again, Johann Hari
• Stolen Focus and Reclaiming Attention, Johann Hari – A New Way of Being, Simon Mundie (podcast)
• I am Gen Z (film)
• Technology and Mental Health, Sunil Rajaraman (TED talk)
• Technology’s impact on our mind – and why we should care, Janis Sarts (TED talk)
• Technology and teen mental health, Charlotte Stauffer (TED talk)
• Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? Bailey Parnell (TED talk)
“The Effects of Technology on the Brain and Behaviour”,
Written by Naomi Carpenter-Merritt
We live in a digital world. Digital technology has transformed our lives. From improving communication, healthcare, connectivity, technology has had a hugely positive impact. However, the influence it has on our brain structure and functioning is a growing concern (Firth et al, 2019).
“Your brain is plastic”
What does this mean?
Plasticity means the brain is malleable and capable of change in response to our experiences and the environment. Contrary to the common belief that we only use 10% of our brains, our brains are constantly active and changing.As you are reading, your neural networks are adapting, and the density of your grey matter is increasing.This type of structural plasticity, or experiencedependent plasticity, can happen throughout our lives, meaning we can still learn new skills as we get older (Draganski, 2004; Boyke, 2008).
This all sounds incredibly positive however there are downsides to how quickly our brains adapt to our surroundings. The growing research into the effects of technology on brain development is terrifying. The impact technology has on executive functioning, concentration, memory, empathy and mental health is a serious concern. We need to educate ourselves and people around us to prevent these effects from permanently changing the structure of our brains.
Are we addicted to our phones?
By age 11, the limbic system, a part of our brain which creates an initial emotional response, is fully developed, however the frontal lobe, responsible for interpreting emotions and applying logic is not fully developed until the ages of 24-25 (Collier, 2021). This means that individuals below the age of 24 are driven more by impulsion and heightened emotion (the heart) rather than logic and rationale (the head).This explains why teenagers are more likely to participate in risky behaviour and perhaps why they struggle to put their phones down.
An Ofcom report states the average 16–24-year-old checks their phone every 12 minutes and estimates that 20% of all adults are online more than 40 hours per week (Ofcom, 2019). Every
time you check your phone, you are strengthening those neural networks, so you are more likely to repeat the behaviour. It is clear the lure of technology is too strong and has a direct impact on the dopaminergic (dopamine) pathways. Every time we receive a notification or a ‘like’, dopamine is released in our brain. It is the same bodily response if someone was to take a drug. It changes our networks in our brains to desire that same response again, which effectively leads to habit and addiction.
The ‘Like’ Effect
It is Sunday night, and you are choosing the photos to upload to your social media platform of choice. You carefully select the photos that show you in your best light – “Is this my good side? Do I look like I’m having fun? Best get the designer label in…”. After the lengthy selection process is complete, you think of a witty caption - “This is hilarious. People will think I’m so funny” – and you confirm to upload and wait.
Within seconds, you’ve received 5 ‘likes’. You check 30 seconds later and notice another like. You spend the rest of the evening checking your post to see how many ‘likes’ you receive. You feel great, you’ve surpassed your PB.
You check through the list of people who have liked your post and realise your best friend hasn’t liked it. You think to yourself, “what have I done? Perhaps I’ve upset her in some way. Did she not like the photo I uploaded of her?” and let the anxiety cycle begin…
This type of validation-seeking behaviour is common and social media platforms know this. This manipulation is changing your neural networks, and you need to make more positive changes to prevent these changes from becoming permanent. Dr Collier, a cognitive psychologist, investigated the effects of ‘likes’ on behaviour. In her webinar on ‘The Effects of Technology on the Brain’, she mentions a study which included a picture of a young person drinking alcohol behind the wheel and a different number of ‘likes’ underneath (see picture below).
In this picture, you can see the first condition had 6 ‘likes’ and the activity in the brain shows the occipital lobe – processes visual information - is active. In the second condition, the picture had 87 ‘likes’, which resulted in more activity in the limbic system and frontal lobes. This indicates that the increase in the number of ‘likes’ is having a direct impact on the dopaminergic pathways, notably the nucleus accumbens which is the area of the brain responsible for producing dopamine. The individuals are receiving a dopamine hit because of the increase in ‘likes’ in the same way that a recreational drug affects the brain (Collier, 2021). The participants will seek a higher number of ‘likes’ to get the same hit of dopamine.
As the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until the age of 25, it is difficult for young people to resist the persuasive and manipulative social media platforms. Self-awareness and self-control are still developing as individuals mature and the brain matures. During puberty, there are changes in the ventral striatum, an area of the brain responsible for motivation, emotion and habit formation, which results in higher levels of ‘happy hormones’, oxytocin and dopamine, being released. This means that young people feel higher levels of satisfaction when they receive a compliment, or in this scenario, a ‘like’, making them extra sensitive to attention and admiration from their peers (Abrams, 2022). This can lead to a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Social Media and Mental Health
A child’s mental health and wellbeing is determined predominately by their peers and parents/guardians lifestyle, behaviour, values and wider socio-economic conditions. The early years shape healthy physical and mental development, and health and social behaviours. Giving every child the best start in life is crucial to reducing health inequalities and maintaining positive wellbeing throughout the life course. If we are to tackle the health and social inequalities that shape the course of people’s lives, then they should be addressed early so that every child has a fair chance of starting and developing well. Childhood and adolescence are crucial stages in the lives of young people, as poor mental health during this time can have profound effects later in life.
(Barnardo’s, 2017)
“Children who spent more than three hours using social networking websites were twice as likely to report high or very high scores for mental ill-health (27%)”
Although there are huge benefits from using mobile phones and technology, we cannot ignore the vast amount of data highlighting the negative impact it has on mental health and wellbeing (De-Sola Gutierrez et al, 2016). Research has shown there is a correlation between excessive use of mobile phones and depressive mood, anxiety, loneliness and higher stress levels (Jeong et al, 2020; Karsay et al, 2019). Findings also show an increase in compulsive buying, tension and boredom (Sahu et al, 2019). We need to try and regulate phone usage to combat these negative effects, such as setting time limits on apps and using exercise as an alternative. Both strategies have seen a significant reduction in the negative impacts (Cao, 2018; Kim, 2013).
Social media platforms encourage individuals to make comparisons between lifestyles, interests and hobbies, which can affect adolescents’ self-view, self-esteem and interpersonal interactions (Abi-Jaoude, 2020). Two cross-sectional surveys of American and German university students found the more time spent on social media the greater the increase in feelings of envy or FOMO (fear of missing out), which has been linked to feelings of stress and anxiety (Beyens, 2016).
Social media apps are intentionally designed to capture and hold your attention, using insights from behavioural psychology and neuroscience. Developers employ these strategies to maximise user engagement and keep you interacting with the platform, often to promote targeted content and advertisements. Research suggests that a prohibitionist approach would be counterproductive in today’s digital world. However, we have a responsibility to guide young people in navigating the challenges of technology while safeguarding them from its potential negative effects on attention, concentration, mental health, and overall well-being (Abi-Jaoude, 2020).
Concentration and attention span
In school, teachers will plan tasks, so they do not exceed 20 minutes – the average time a person can concentrate for. However, more recent research suggests that our average concentration time is less than that of a goldfish (Sanghami, 2019). Goldfish on average have a 9 second memory, contrary to popular belief, and the findings from this study suggests people now have an 8 second memory. This is due to the effects of technology on the brain. So, what is happening to our brains for this to occur?
“Today’s digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation” (Purcell et
al, 2012)
Before the internet, we had to put more effort into learning. If someone asked a question, we would have to use more resources to find out the answer. What do we do now? Google it. This easy access to a wealth of knowledge might appear an advantage at face value, however the impact this is having on our memories, and cognitive functioning is alarming. When participants were instructed to search for specific information online or by using an encyclopaedia, the former resulted in a faster recall time, however those participants were not able to recall the information accurately immediately or after prolonged recall (Dong & Potenza, 2015).
It is suggested that the constant influx of information and sensory overload competes for our limited attention, often causing individuals to split their attention across multiple streams, thereby reducing our attention span and ability to concentrate on a single task (Firth et al, 2019). Leading technology companies have been accused of employing manipulation strategies in the apps and websites to capture attention and encourage prolonged engagement, often without the user being conscious aware. In some cases, this has been shown to negatively impact user wellbeing (Alter, 2017).
There is also the issue of ‘media-multitasking’, interacting with multiple inputs, which requires the individual to split their attention further thus only processing information on a superficial level (Ophir, 2009). Other research findings suggest that the average person switches their attention between each media input as frequently as 19 seconds (Yeykelis et al, 2014) and
those individuals who engage in frequent and extensive media multitasking perform worse in cognitive tasks compared to those individuals who show sustained attention, i.e. focusing on one task for a prolonged period (Uncapher & Wagner, 2018).
Studies have shown a strong correlation between extensive screen time and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This can be explained by the repetitive attentional shifts and multitasking which impairs executive functioning (Ra et al, 2018). Li et al (2019) reported that almost 60% of the general population experience “inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity”, which are symptoms associated with ADHD.
“It has been found that young people who engage in media multi-tasking can predict the development of attentional deficits”
(Baumgartner, 2017)
Betteridge and colleagues (2014) reported that the mere presence of a phone produced “diminished attention and deficits in task-performance”, so it is essential for young people (and adults) to take this into consideration when trying to complete tasks. Junco & Cotton found a negative correlation between engagement in multiple digital activities and reduction in their academic performance. They also reported a decrease in reading and comprehension levels (Junco & Cotton, 2012).
Given the complexity of the relationship between attentional processes, technology and their effects on brain function, further research is necessary.We can safely say that removing phones from our working environment can help to prevent distractions and keep our attention focused on the task at hand.
Technology and memory
The concerns with media multi-tasking and general use of technology include its negative impact on cognitive functioning, potential sleep difficulties, lack of engagement in social and academic activities, and reduction in creative thinking (van der Schurr et al, 2015; Altmann et al, 2014). It has been found that our overreliance on technology is decreasing the size of our hippocampi, our long-term memory store (Sparrow et al, 2011).
We are all experiencing a phenomenon called digital amnesia, where we are losing the ability to remember information due to our overreliance on technology (Hardt, 2014). This extends beyond just acquiring knowledge, such as using Google, to include the ways we document events, like taking photos of recording videos. Henkel (2014) found that participants who took photographs during a museum tour were “less likely to remember the details of the objects”, known as the ‘photo-taking-impairment effect’. It is believed that we do not form a memory in the same way because we are effectively offloading the task by storing that image and we disengage with whatever we’re looking at (Young, 2022). In short, put the phone away.
Existing neuroimaging studies have reported mixed results on the acute effects of technology on memory, but some theories suggest that using the internet to acquire knowledge can lead to reduced activation in the brain regions associated with working memory (Dong, 2015) and can alter memory retrieval circuits (Liu, 2018).
Research has also shown that adopting a less engaging lifestyle may accelerate loss of cognitive functioning (Hultsch et al, 1999) and engaging in the digital world can exacerbate these changes (Small et al, 2011). Zhou and colleagues found that participants who played an online game for 6 weeks experienced in a significant reduction in grey matter within the orbitofrontal cortex - an area of the brain associated with impulse control and decision-making. This area has been attributed to internet addiction and excessive engagement in online gaming (Zhou et al, 2023).
Regarding these adverse effects of using technology, it is important to consider what actions we can take to prevent long-term effects. One of the easiest ways to combat the negative impact of technology on memory, attention and well-being is to reduce the amount of time we spend on our phones. We need to be realistic as we do live in a digital world but where we can, we need to reduce screen time.
What can we do?
Following Government advice, we have changed the mobile phone usage policy this year so that pupils in years 6-11 will not be allowed to have their phones during the school day. In the sixth form, we acknowledge that our students are preparing for life beyond Emanuel School where they will have access to their mobile phones, so we will be working with them to teach them strategies to help self-regulate and monitor their own time spent on their phones.
Over the course of this academic year, we will be introducing Digital Blackouts, where the school community will commit to not using social media for a specified period.We will continue with our Disconnect to Reconnect social media studies in a different format this year. We will continue to measure the impacts of social media on mental health and wellbeing, but we will conduct smaller studies to see the specific effects of smartphones (further details about ‘Back to Brick’ to come later this term).
We strongly believe that by reducing screen time and phone usage, our students will see increases in their concentration, memory, attendance, achievements and most importantly, happiness and wellbeing.
Bibliography
Abi-Jaoude, E., Treurnicht Naylor, K., Pignatiello, A. (2020) Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health.
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