Why children of the future must be ‘indistractable’

With access to phones, tablets and laptops more readily available to children than ever before, teaching them to fully focus on just one thing is the next great educational challenge, writes Clare Masters.

I was about 10 minutes into chatting to my sister on Messenger about buying wedding dresses (hers, not mine), watching a shocking video of one of the fire storms in southern NSW, listening to the radio, buying some school labels online – and researching my upcoming story on how to stay ‘indistractable’ when I realised the irony of what I was doing.

I would like to pass it off as a case of multi-tasking, but in fact it is a symptom of the latest modern day malaise – the addiction of distraction.

Experts say the incessant noise of digital alerts is hijacking our brains and being ‘indistractable’ is going to be the key skill of the 21st century – setting apart the next generation of leaders from the rest (not sure what experts say about people who think it is OK to just make up words but anyway …).

This generation is the first that are the digital natives, the guinea pigs who are clutching their own iPads while still in prams, the school kids who do their school work and homework on screens, the teens who virtually hang out gaming rather than at the park.

This generation is the first that are the digital natives. Picture: iStock

There is an absolute upside to this as you consider that in many ways technology has made the world is a safer place. And there are plenty of ways we can use technology to our advantage; as I type this there is an app on my phone growing a small tree and if I touch my phone before finishing this piece then the tree will wither and die. (As will my brain if I can’t get off the endless addictive circuit of social media platforms. I am pretty sure there is nothing new on Instagram since I last checked but I mindlessly do it anyway.)

That is slightly dramatic. There is no real research yet that shows if the sugar hit of digital distraction is doing any physical damage to our brains, but we do know that anything over six to seven hours of screen time is actually changing kids brains and causing observable neurological impacts.

If that sounds like a lot and couldn’t possibly relate to you or your kid consider the time they spend on their phones or iPads on the way to school, the screen time they get at school, the TV, phone and gaming they get at home. As author of ‘Tech Diet for your child and teen’ psychologist Brad Marshall points out, it all adds up.

And we also know that if we do something over and over again that is what our brains become good at. So if kids are consistently on screens, joggling between activities, relentlessly searching for the next stimulation – it makes sense that is what their brains become used to and, as Dr Megan Spencer-Smith from Monash University says, it makes it harder for them to have the optimal attention to learn.

All tech time adds up. Picture: iStock

That is why author of ‘Indistractable’ Nir Eyal says the leaders of the future will be the ones who have taught themselves what he calls ‘traction’ – the ability to stay focused, the strength to resist the lure of distractions and regulate your emotions. He says it will be as important as teaching children the value of nutrition and will have the same positive impact on their lives.

The good news is that the children’s brains are highly plastic and teaching them good habits now, or reversing bad ones, is not difficult. Dr Megan Spencer-Smith says even simple child’s games like Simon Says, Follow the Leader or Red Light, Green Light can help teach focus and regulation. Or if you want to use technology for good rather than evil there are also plenty of brain training apps.

Like the ‘Forest’ one that got me to the end of this piece. Now to check Twitter.

Clare Masters is a social affairs and education writer.

Originally published as Why children of the future must be ‘indistractable’