Levi Veltkamp

10-26-16
A Distracted Downfall
The ability to learn; its what makes the human race so distinguished from any other on the
planet. The toddler learns to walk, talk, and eat, but it does not stop there. The baby grows into a
young adolescent, and then develops into a teen, all the while only learning more and more. In
fact, the learning never stops, not even through the adult years. The cities, machines, and
technology that we have designed and built are far, far more advanced than anything created by
any other race, and it is because of this incredible ability to learn and a deeply rooted willingness
to be educated. Many incredible advancements in science, technology, and education have been
made in just the past couple centuries. The flint lock musket for example, was in use for nearly
three hundred years, all the way into the mid-eighteen hundreds, but since then, in less than two
hundred years, militaries across the globe have completely revolutionized their weapon systems,
bringing about amounts of destruction that were not thought possible previously. It is true that
our society is advancing faster than ever before, and this is especially apparent in the field of
education. The invention of computers, smartphones, and the World Wide Web have changed the
way that students learn and study. The recent inclusion of technology in the classrooms has made
it much more convenient and efficient for teachers and students alike, and the advantages are
many, but as one might argue whether advancements in military weaponry are truly beneficial to
society or not, one might also argue that technology has not been completely beneficial in the
field of education. Though there are great advantages of smartphones, computers, and the
internet, they are known as a major source of distraction, in and out of the classroom, specifically
for high school and college age students of the modern world, and these distractions are
preventing them from getting the most out of their education. To be more specific, I hypothesize

that distractions created by digital technology are causing high school and college age students of
the modern world to lose focus, and it is preventing them from experiencing transformative
learning and investing genuine creativity into their work.
The modern world is a multitasking culture that is continually searching for and creating new
ways to become more efficient. Efficiency has always been the underlying goal, and we as
humans have certainly become very good at it. Skyscrapers are built at heights that could not be
fathomed before. Distances that would have taken months to travel can now be crossed within
hours, and new smartphones and computers are advertised as being able to do many things at
once. Education has been revolutionized by technology that allows students to work more
efficiently. The average person is pressured to act more efficiently, and to do more things in a
shorter amount of time. However, the problem arises when the subject of attention is considered.
Matthew Crawford, author of Attention as a Cultural Problem stated in his essay that, In the
main currents of psychological research, attention is treated as a resourcea person has only so
much of it. Yet it does not occur to us to make a claim for our attentional resources on our own
behalf. (42) In this point of view, attention is seen as a resource, which means that it is not in
infinitesimal supply. The act of multitasking does not always increase efficiency because the
brain must ration out its resources among tasks, and it gets sidetracked easily. The writer,
Nicholas Carr, makes a statement that further legitimizes Crawfords claims in his article, Is
Google Making Us Stupid?, first published in an Atlantis magazine. Carr states of his increased
internet usage over the past few years, Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or
three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, and begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if
Im always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. (1) Here I would say that Carr isnt
making a claim for his attentional resources on his own behalf. The Industrial Revolution and the

adoption of the factory system were great advancements for mankind, and it serves as an
example of the legitimacy of these claims. Interestingly enough, it was discovered that workers
focusing on one specific job could be much more productive than workers doing many different
jobs, thus factories and assembly lines were created, and the efficiency of the worker was
improved drastically.
Engaging the brain in multiple tasks simultaneously is what activates this distracted, split-focus
state, which reduces the ability to think critically and minimizes awareness. It is hard to overlook
that distracted driving was the cause of 3,179 deaths and 431,000 injuries in the United States in
2014 alone. On the flip side however, it seems that the brains of students who are constantly
subject to distractions begin to acclimate to that environment. They embrace and in a way almost
crave being busy, and being distracted. I think back to my high school class-mates who would
chat in class, and use their phones when they could get away with it, however, they still kept
decent grades. But my hypothesis is not that distractions prevent students from keeping their
grade point average up. No, it is a little bit deeper than that.
Jack Mezirow, an American sociologist and Emeritus Professor of Adult and Continuing
Education, built upon this idea of students and their learning environments by introducing the
theory of transformative learning, which was really a deeper interpretation of the well-known
philosopher Confucius belief that students should be taught according to ability. Mezirow states
in his essay, Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice that, Transformative learning is the
process of affecting change in a frame of reference Frames of reference are the structures of
assumptions through which we understand our experiences. (87) This kind of education,
according to Mezirow, is meant to help the individual become a more autonomous thinker by
learning to negotiate with their own values, meanings, and purposes rather than to uncritically act

on those of others. This would be a revolutionary way of thinking in the class rooms as
transformative learning is the learning that really makes an impact on the student and stays in the
mind long after it is taught, not just until finals are over. However there is a small list of rules
that Mezirow gives the reader multiple times in the same essay. Mezirow states that, The
process involves transforming frames of reference through critical reflection of assumptions,
validating contested beliefs through discourse, taking action on ones reflective insight, and
critically assessing it. (92) This list contains words like critical, reflection, and discourse.
Any transformative learning requires attention. It requires the student to stop and examine
himself inwardly. It requires a moment of silence that is so hard to find in todays environment.
Crawford states earlier in his article that, The benefits of silence are off the books. They are not
measured directly by any econometric instrument yet the availability of silence surely
contributes to creativity and innovation. (42) If the availability of silence contributes to
creativity and innovation, then the unavailability of silence surely takes away from creativity and
innovation.
Carr, Crawford, and Mezirow have realized one thing; Quality education is in jeopardy. The
distractions that students face today, in and out of the classrooms, are holding them back from
discovering gifts and talents within themselves. It may not be apparent yet, but the inclusion of
technology into education, and the students daily lives is a fairly new change. I am not blaming
the students, at least completely. This multitasking society that is ever striving for increased
efficiency is largely to blame. For example, ever since the average citizen could purchase an
automobile, both the owners and the society have been expecting each other to be in more places
per day, drive farther, and fit more in their schedules. I see this most relatable to millennials
especially. Getting a job, going to college, driving to other commitments, and still having time in

the day to drive to social events is convenient, but also complicates lives and makes them busy,
and creates distractions that this race has not had to deal with in centuries before.
The human race has come a long ways since the first written language was invented, which is
generally agreed to have been in Mesopotamia around 3200 B.C, but upon studying the history
of the world and especially of medicine and surgery, it is apparent that sometimes in the world of
education, two steps must be taken in the backward direction before stepping forward once
again. Distractions are undoubtedly a rising concern of today, especially in the field of education,
and it may be holding vulnerable students back, even if they dont realize it. Even in my
experience I have seen entire classes give up investing creativity in their work because they
simply dont have the time or train of thought, and even I have forgotten the contents of an entire
class, because my attention could only hold out long enough to remember it until I didnt need it
to pass the class anymore. Its an unsettling thought that mankind could be growing stagnant,
stunting itself, slowly deteriorating from the inside out without even realizing it, like the heavy
smoker or the compulsive drinker.

Works Cited.
Carr, Nicholas. Is Google Making Us Stupid? The Atlantic magazine. July/ August 2008
issue. /http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-usstupid/3068 Accessed 10/12/16.
Crawford, Matthew. Attention as a Cultural Problem. The World Beyond Your Head (2015).
Exploring Connections: Learning in the 21st Century (2016) Edited by Mid-Michigan
Community College. Pg. 36-48.
Mezirow, Jack. Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. New Directions for Adult and
Continuing Education (1997) Exploring Connections: Learning in the 21st Century (2016)
Edited by Mid-Michigan Community College. Pg. 86-93.