tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/high-tech-kids-18111/articleshigh-tech kids – The Conversation2019-12-22T20:21:15Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1275032019-12-22T20:21:15Z2019-12-22T20:21:15ZRobots, AI and drones: when did toys turn into rocket science?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307353/original/file-20191217-164437-v0vz9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=121%2C319%2C7227%2C4583&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Toys are becoming increasingly advanced, but this can be more of a hindrance than a perk.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/despaired-businessman-business-2261021/">Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’m a geek. And as a geek, I love my tech toys. But over time I’ve noticed toys are becoming harder to understand. </p>
<p>Some modern toys resemble advanced devices. There are flying toys, walking toys, and roving toys. A number of these require “configuring” or “connecting”. </p>
<p>The line between toy, gadget and professional device is blurrier than ever, as manufacturers churn out products including <a href="https://www.t3.com/features/best-kids-drones">drones for kids</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Spy-Nanny-Camera-Wi-fi/dp/B07P7BCYZT">plush toys with hidden nanny cams</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-for-a-high-tech-gift-for-a-young-child-think-playgrounds-not-playpens-108325">Looking for a high-tech gift for a young child? Think playgrounds, not playpens</a>
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<p>With such a variety of sophisticated, and sometimes over-engineered products, it’s clear manufacturers have upped their game. </p>
<p>But why is this happening?</p>
<h2>The price of tech</h2>
<p>Toys these days seem to be designed with two major components in mind. It’s all about the smarts and rapid manufacture.</p>
<p>In modern toys, we see a considerable level of programmed intelligence. This can be used to control the toy’s actions, or have it respond to input to provide real time feedback and interaction – making it appear “smarter”.</p>
<p>This is all made possible by the falling price of technology. </p>
<p>Once upon a time, placing a microcontroller (a single chip microprocessor) inside a toy was simply uneconomical. </p>
<p>These days, they’ll <a href="https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/semiconductors/processors-microcontrollers/microcontrollers/">only set you back a few dollars</a> and allow significant computing power.</p>
<p>Microcontrollers are often WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, too. This allows “connected” toys to access a wide range of internet services, or be controlled by a smartphone.</p>
<p>Another boon for toy manufacturers has been the rise of prototype technologies, including 3D modelling, 3D printing, and low cost CNC (computer numerical control) milling. </p>
<p>These technologies allow the advanced modelling of toys, which can help design them to be “tougher”. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-childs-play-the-serious-innovation-behind-toy-making-128211">Not child’s play: The serious innovation behind toy making</a>
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<p>They also allow manufacturers to move beyond simple (outer) case designs and towards advanced multi-material devices, where the case of the toy forms an active part of the toy’s function. </p>
<p>Examples of this include hand grips (found on console controls and toys including Nerf Blasters), advanced surface textures, and internal structures which support shock absorption to protect internal components, such as wheel suspensions in toy cars.</p>
<h2>Bot helpers and robot dogs</h2>
<p>Many recent advancements in toys are there to appease our admiration of automatons, or self operating machines. </p>
<p>The idea that an inanimate object is transcending its static world, or is “thinking”, is one of the magical elements that prompts us to attach emotions to toys. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Anki’s Cozmo (the Vector’s predecessor) is an example of a cloud-connected robotic toy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/robot-makes-origami-1317221207">shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>And manufacturers know this, with some toys designed specifically to drive emotional attachment. My favourite example of this is roaming robots, such as the artificially intelligent <a href="https://www.anki.com/en-us/vector.html">Anki Vector</a>. </p>
<p>With sensors and internet connectivity, the Vector drives around and interacts with its environment, as well as you. It’s even <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vector-Robot-Anki-Hangs-Helps/dp/B07G3ZNK4Y">integrated with Amazon Alexa</a>.</p>
<p>Another sophisticated toy is Sony’s Aibo. This robot pet shows how advanced robotics, microelectronics, actuators (which allow movement), sensors, and programming can be used to create a unique toy experience with emotional investment.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Sony’s Aibo robot dog is cute, and robotic – it’s a geek’s dream pet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam-apr-1095006827">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Screens not included</h2>
<p>Toy manufacturers are also leveraging the rise of smartphones and portable computing. </p>
<p>Quadcopters (or drones) and other similar devices often don’t need to include their own display in the remote control, as video can be beamed to an attached device.</p>
<p>Some toys even use smartphones as the only control interface (used to control the toy), usually via an app, saving manufacturers from having to provide what is arguably the most expensive part of the toy.</p>
<p>This means a smartphone becomes an inherent requirement, without which the toy can’t be used. </p>
<p>It would be incredibly disappointing to buy a cool, new toy - only to realise you don’t own the very expensive device required to use it.</p>
<h2>My toys aren’t spying on me, surely?</h2>
<p>While spying may be the last thing you consider when buying a toy, there have been several reports of talking dolls <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/20/506208146/this-doll-may-be-recording-what-children-say-privacy-groups-charge">recording in-home conversations</a>. </p>
<p>There are similar concerns with smart-home assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, which store <a href="https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/may/31/ro-khanna/your-amazon-alexa-spying-you/">your voice recordings in the cloud</a>.</p>
<p>These concerns might also be warranted with toys such as the Vector, and Aibo. </p>
<p>In fact, anything that has a microphone, camera or wireless connectivity can be considered a privacy concern.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/just-like-hal-your-voice-assistant-isnt-working-for-you-even-if-it-feels-like-it-is-111177">Just like HAL, your voice assistant isn't working for you even if it feels like it is</a>
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<h2>Toys of the future</h2>
<p>We’ve established toys are becoming more sophisticated, but does that mean they’re getting better?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2020/">Various</a> <a href="https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/technology/technology-trends-2019">reports</a> indicate in 2020, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will continue to be pervasive in our lives. </p>
<p>This means buying toys could become an even trickier task than it currently is. There are some factors shoppers can consider. </p>
<p>On the top of my list of concerns is the type and number of batteries a toy requires, and how to charge them. </p>
<p>If a device has <a href="https://theconversation.com/nearly-all-your-devices-run-on-lithium-batteries-heres-a-nobel-prizewinner-on-his-part-in-their-invention-and-their-future-126197">in-built lithium batteries</a>, can they be easily replaced? And if the toy is designed for outdoors, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-batteries-have-started-catching-fire-so-often-68602">can it cope with the heat?</a> Most lithium-ion batteries degrade quickly in hot environments.</p>
<p>And does the device require an additional screen or smartphone? </p>
<p>It’s also worth being wary of what personal details are required to sign-up for a service associated with a toy - and if the toy can still function if its manufacturer should cease to exist, or the company should go bust.</p>
<p>And, as always, if you’re considering an advanced, “connected” toy, make sure to prioritise your security and privacy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127503/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Maxwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>At Christmas shopping, you may have noticed toys are becoming very complex. They fly, hop, jump and follow you around – some even need to be ‘connected’. But why are we seeing such technical advances?Andrew Maxwell, Senior Lecturer, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/451642015-08-12T20:34:55Z2015-08-12T20:34:55ZFive things every guilty parent needs to know<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90964/original/image-20150806-1944-v49u5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Nobody's perfect – not you, and not your kids. And that's OK.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-13318435/stock-photo-worn-out-mother-with-crying-baby.html?src=pd-same_model-13318426-aHPwdVnypj6MrVjLzTFs6A-3">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s the guilty secret many parents are reluctant to admit aloud: no matter how much you love your kids, being a parent can <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=22947781&dopt=abstractplus">make you feel bad</a>. </p>
<p>But Google knows you’re not alone. Look up the phrase <a href="https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=guilty+parent">guilty parent</a> and you’ll get more than 70 million results. Unfortunately, most of that advice is based on <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754">opinion</a>, <a href="http://www.parenting.com/article/debunking-pregnancy-old-wives-tales">folklore</a> or <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-nichols-grossi/10-pearls-of-parenting-wisdom_b_7026776.html">individual experience</a>; it’s rarely based on evidence.</p>
<p>So what exactly do we know about the causes of parental guilt? And how can you turn feeling bad into a change for the better?</p>
<h2>Don’t worry – it’s normal</h2>
<p>The first, and perhaps most important, thing to know about parental guilt is that, at some point, every parent will experience it.</p>
<p>One of the best parts of our work is running parenting classes, where complete strangers from all walks of life come to learn <a href="http://www.parentingrc.org.au/images/stories/evidence_review_parenting_interventions/main_report_evidencereviewparentinginterventions.pdf">evidence-based strategies</a> to increase their confidence and skills.</p>
<p>We start each new class by asking parents why they’ve come. And in every class, as we work our way around the room, one parent after another admits that they are not sure what to do – they’ve read the books, Googled the answers, listened to their neighbours, tried the old wives’ tales, and whatever they try <em>still</em> isn’t working. </p>
<p>As they share their stories, the mood in the room lifts. People start to smile in recognition; maybe they’re <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-it-sucks-a-lot-of-the-time/story-fnet08xa-1227427579720">not the only ones</a> who are struggling with life’s greatest gift – their children!</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">ABC TV’s The Checkout satirises the endless ways mothers are guilted into buying things they don’t need.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Understanding the guilty brain</h2>
<p>People feel guilt when their actions or thoughts don’t match their standards for themselves. It is considered a <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.665">moral emotion</a> that helps us regulate our interactions with others.</p>
<p>Guilt can be useful when it enables us to be self-reflective and to <a href="http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/1467-6494.00001">pay attention to others’s emotions</a>. When a person feels guilty, they experience an increased activation of brain areas involved with <a href="http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053811904004288">taking another person’s perspective</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394009004133">being empathic</a>. As a result, guilt often motivates people to <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/18/6/524.short">make amends</a>. </p>
<p>However, guilt can be a harmful emotion – especially because not everyone who feels guilty takes action to decrease their guilt. When people feel guilty, they are likely first to <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/18/6/524.short">withdraw from the situation</a>. Guilt has been described as a way to <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.665">punish oneself</a>.</p>
<p>One study even found that parents cited <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/657">guilt as a barrier to exercise</a>. There is evidence that supports the common saying that people feel “<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0069546">weighed down by guilt</a>”.</p>
<h2>Common causes of guilt, from work to play</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18211146">Balancing a career and a family</a> is a great source of guilt for both men and women. <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/index.cfm?fa=search.displayRecord&id=FB666926-F012-65FC-E9C4-B6CC08535B89&resultID=19&page=1&dbTab=all&search=true">Research</a> has also shown that women can feel a sense of guilt and failure about having lowered levels of libido and subsequent intimacy with their partners following childbirth. </p>
<p>An annual checkup with the paediatrician can be another source of guilt for parents, especially if they find out that their child may be <a href="http://hpq.sagepub.com/content/20/5/649.full">at risk for obesity</a>.</p>
<p>Then, as children grow and other siblings come along, parents can feel guilty about <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=22947781&dopt=abstractplus">favouring</a> one child over the other.</p>
<p>Discipline is another common source of guilt. Parents will often say they feel guilty about being too lenient with their children and “caving in”; they can feel equally guilty about becoming aggravated and resorting to yelling or smacking. </p>
<p>Then there’s techno-guilt: worrying about <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2702199">phone use in the playground</a> and feeling unease about using <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/news/latest-news/2014/12/toddlers-and-tablets-parents-techno-guilt">phones and other devices</a> to distract toddlers and preschoolers.</p>
<h2>Five tips for parental guilt</h2>
<p>Given these and many more potential causes of parental guilt, how can you avoid becoming overwhelmed?</p>
<p><strong>1. Remember – parental guilt is normal</strong></p>
<p>The next time you’re feeling like the worst parent in the world, remember: every parent feels like that at times. Sometimes, simply reminding yourself of that can be enough to get you through the day.</p>
<p><strong>2. Let go of perfection</strong></p>
<p>Having realistic expectations of yourself and your children can make a big difference. At the end of a long day, dealing with a toddler who refuses to go to bed will never be easy. Be realistic about your capacity to solve every problem effortlessly and without stress. It’s not always possible.</p>
<p>Nobody’s perfect. Not you, and not your kids. And that’s OK.</p>
<p><strong>3. Channel your thoughts and feelings into action</strong></p>
<p>Guilt can weigh you down and hold you back – or it can be the start of a change for the better.</p>
<p>While guilt can be harmful, it’s also associated with positive traits, such as being more empathetic. Let the knowledge that guilt is linked to a desire to do something differently motivate you to change what’s making you feel guilty.</p>
<p><strong>4. Seek out reliable, evidence-informed parenting advice</strong></p>
<p>Look for programs that have evidence of their effectiveness, including evidence of scientific success in actually resolving the issue at hand. And consider what form of help suits you best: are you looking for resources online, in a group setting or one-on-one in person? </p>
<p>If you’re looking for places to start, some good options to check out include the <a href="http://www.raisingchildren.net.au">Raising Children Network</a> in Australia, <a href="http://www.blueprintsprograms.com/">Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development</a> in the United States, or the UK government’s <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140311170415/http://education.gov.uk/commissioning-toolkit/Programme/ParentsSearch">Department of Education</a>.</p>
<p><strong>5. Create a network of encouragement with other parents</strong></p>
<p>You can build your own network of encouragement with other parents. Share your stories – not just the highs, which are natural to want to talk up, but also the lows – and offer positive feedback. </p>
<p>The goal is to create a connected group of people who prompt one another to share ideas and access evidence-informed information.</p>
<p>And whenever you need to, go back to tip 1: remind yourself and your friends that feeling guilty is a normal part of being a parent.</p>
<p><em>* John Pickering’s author Q&A is now over, but you can read his comments below or listen to his <a href="https://soundcloud.com/702abcsydney/the-f-factor-parental-guilt-with-john-pickering">interview on ABC Sydney 702</a>. You can also have your say on this topic via this <a href="https://uqpsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_895Gk0Yz6UK0Qrr&Q_JFE=0">two-minute research survey</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Pickering is an employee of The University of Queensland (UQ). UQ owns The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. The University through its technology transfer company, UniQuest Pty Ltd, has licensed Triple P International Pty Ltd to publish and disseminate the program worldwide. Royalties stemming from published Triple P resources are distributed to the University and contributory authors. John Pickering has no authorial connection to Triple P and is not a financial recipient of program dissemination. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Crane is an employee of The University of Queensland (UQ). UQ owns The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. The University through its technology transfer company, UniQuest Pty Ltd, has licensed Triple P International Pty Ltd to publish and disseminate the program worldwide. Royalties stemming from published Triple P resources are distributed to the University and contributory authors. Margaret Crane has no authorial connection to Triple P and is not a financial recipient of program dissemination. </span></em></p>Feeling guilty and out of your depth as a parent? You’re not alone – and there are ways to turn the guilt you’re feeling into positive changes for your family.John Pickering, Head, Triple P Innovation Precinct, The University of QueenslandMargaret Crane, Research and Innovation Officer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/431002015-06-26T14:27:24Z2015-06-26T14:27:24ZCan millennials pay attention to classwork while texting, tweeting and being on Facebook?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86000/original/image-20150622-17743-1lsjya2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Should mobile devices be encouraged in class?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/trinityunimelb/8615745262/in/photolist-e8kWU7-FvhU8-cfq3bs-9Xw2Lv-cTmFuq-oJEP4q-cTmCRQ-fGK5hz-cTmEDC-em5vS2-7aeocB-7bd3g8-7PhWD6-bHLu96-g9eZ2N-fzwZ9m-c3in6o-fCX9WF-6ZH2W1-6ZD2ye-6ZGQNN-6ZGXAy-6ZGpo3-6ZH1hG-6ZD3St-6ZCpui-6ZD11P-6ZGpxQ-6ZCX9H-6ZGQhC-6ZCoy8-6ZH2i9-6ZD3dk-6ZH4zQ-6ZCPtr-6ZGqV5-6ZCnYa-6ZD2tF-6ZGtxU-6ZD5vg-6ZH31q-6ZCpHK-6ZGqmU-6ZCpU4-6ZCXkc-6ZGQC9-6ZGpW7-6ZH1XW-6ZCXfP-6ZGpdE">Trinity College</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s hard not to notice the connection of today’s youth to technology. </p>
<p>Fused to their smartphones around the clock, they prefer screens to paper and text message to speech; they consider leaving voicemail an act of interpersonal aggression. </p>
<p>They seem to focus differently too: skimming and sampling their way through multiple streams of data, they look like they’re taking it in all at once.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nnstoy.org/download/technology/Digital%20Natives%20-%20Digital%20Immigrants.pdf">Some educators</a> call them “digital natives,” reflecting the idea that tech is at the core of who they are and how they function. </p>
<p>If living with technology really has rewired this generation for multitasking, what implications does this have for how we educate them? Should we tolerate – or maybe even encourage – mobile devices in class? And should we worry when we see students keeping an eye on social media or other diversions while doing homework?</p>
<h2>Why attention matters for learning</h2>
<p>As a professor who specializes in course design, I deal with these questions frequently as I help fellow faculty devise better strategies. In this work, I draw on my research background in cognitive psychology, a specialization focusing on mental processes such as reasoning, memory and attention.</p>
<p>Of those processes, attention is one that I tell teachers to be particularly attuned to. Research shows that memory – especially working memory, which holds information we’re using in the present moment – is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3379570/">deeply intertwined</a> with attention. </p>
<p>Without sustained focus, we retain surprisingly little, and that window of focus is much narrower than we may realize.</p>
<p>So, are the minds of digital natives – or any heavy tech users – better or worse when it comes to attention? It’s a complicated question, partly because attention works in some paradoxical ways.</p>
<p>The function of attention is to prioritize where we put our limited cognitive resources at any given moment. One thing <a href="http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5d41c06e-8bca-456f-b6d4-88450b57afde%40sessionmgr113&vid=25&hid=127">attention does</a> is keep irrelevant information at bay. Like a bouncer at an exclusive nightclub, its job is to ensure that only the most important and relevant elements pass through into conscious awareness.</p>
<p>But at the same time, a well-functioning attention system has to stay open to information that’s in the background and could be potentially useful. That mental bouncer has to constantly scan the crowd for anyone who might turn out to be a great addition to the party, pick them out and usher them inside.</p>
<h2>What technology does to the ability to pay attention</h2>
<p>Technology seems to have a bigger impact on that second side of attention.</p>
<p>Certain kinds of tech use – habitually consuming lots of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22528869">online media</a> at once, or playing <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v423/n6939/full/nature01647.html">certain kinds</a> of <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0193397394900086">video games</a> – appear to boost the ability to efficiently pick up on peripheral information while keeping up with a main task.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86409/original/image-20150625-13002-13un77l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Technology in class remains a distraction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usaidasia/12130900566/in/photolist-jtY373-9xi9Un-damBfo-97SXRN-rBkpEN-e8t6ny-q85ryt-adV37u-gufsWW-dNM367-bmzTZC-dN6BD4-oJG4tt-rwdnPm-hssxb7">USAID Asia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And although long-term studies are lacking, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273229714000525">there is a growing body of research</a> on how tech-saturated environments shape the minds and brains of kids. </p>
<p>It’s <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273229714000483">unlikely</a> that video games or online media damage kids’ ability to pay attention. But <a href="http://greenfieldlab.psych.ucla.edu/Welcome.html">comparative research</a> across high-tech and low-tech societies suggests that information processing is different in kids who grow up working with digital rather than physical tools. Neither group is better or worse across the board, but this research suggests that high-tech kids may be less inclined to learn by watching for extended periods of time. </p>
<p>That said, we should be cautious about concluding that today’s students have developed the ability to juggle as much technology as they want. Technology has not reshaped the basic ways in which our brains process information.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.danielwillingham.com/">cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham</a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/opinion/smartphones-dont-make-us-dumb.html?_r=0">points out</a>, the impact of things like video games is relatively subtle. All they can do is tinker around the edges of our mental systems, rather than altering them at the core. </p>
<p>As Willingham says, something as fundamental as attention couldn’t be deeply reshaped without a major overhaul of the brain – something that would be a function of evolution, not life experiences.</p>
<p>All of this means that college teachers should be skeptical of claims that their game- and tech-obsessed students process information completely differently. Compared to earlier generations, today’s students are probably no more able to learn while simultaneously engrossed in Twitter, Facebook and texting. </p>
<h2>College students and technology</h2>
<p>There are other pitfalls to consider. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/550/298">Research</a> with young adults in college suggests that they are neither as enthusiastic about technology nor as adept at using it as we may assume. Sometimes, they intentionally opt for lower-tech approaches; in <a href="http://www.igi-global.com/article/learning-from-paper-learning-from-screens/102454">one study</a> of California college students, most said that they preferred paper over a browser for their own studying.</p>
<p>This is something my faculty colleagues commonly observe as well – that although their students may use technology like social media casually throughout the day, it doesn’t translate to other tech-based tasks, such as navigating a course’s online homework system.</p>
<p>Students also get into trouble if they assume – because of the “digital nativism” idea, or simple lack of self-awareness – that they can master demanding coursework while engaged in digital distractions. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03634523.2015.1038727">Evidence suggests</a> that multitasking – such as tweeting in class - reduces learning, or at the very least makes it <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.2919/abstract">take longer</a>.</p>
<p>Even <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131512002254">sitting next to</a> a classmate surfing the web on his or her own laptop hampers learning. </p>
<p>In sum, despite that appearance of being fused to their devices, today’s students aren’t immune to the distraction those devices cause. And they don’t necessarily want technology in every corner of their educational lives.</p>
<h2>How college teachers can help</h2>
<p>College teachers need to include lots of tech support for online assignments and other kinds of educational technologies, because even students who have grown up with computers still get stuck when using them in new contexts. </p>
<p>Teachers must also avoid the trap of adding tech to a class just because they assume digital native students want it. Educational technology <a href="http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674368248">can be highly effective</a>, but only when it is tightly coupled to the teacher’s goals. </p>
<p>Even better, teachers can help students understand for themselves how attention works – knowledge that everyone ought to have in today’s distracting era. Without vilifying technology, teachers can work to <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/12/02/essay-calls-professors-start-teaching-students-about-distraction-and-attention">raise students’ awareness</a> about how attention impacts learning more than we may realize, no matter what our age.</p>
<p>The effects of technology on cognition are intriguing, but they don’t justify teaching millennials as if they were a new species. Teachers need to think twice about tolerating devices in class, except as part of structured activities that link to the lesson at hand.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43100/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Denise Miller is a partner in Rhizome Learn LLC and consults for Minds-Online.com.</span></em></p>From the look of it, the millennials appear to be very comfortable with technology. But are they as immune to the effects of digital distraction as some might assume – especially in the classroom?Michelle Denise Miller, Director, First Year Learning Initiative at University College and Professor of Psychological Sciences, Northern Arizona UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.