Devi Kar | ‘Addictive Devices’ Leading to Shorter Attention Spans for Kids & Adults?

In this age where we are exposed to multiple competing stimuluses -- at the same time attractive and disruptive, teachers keep complaining about the maddeningly short attention spans of their students. They blame it on “addictive devices” and the social media. I have observed this to be true of adults as well.

People are now daunted by thick novels or long articles. Even instructions and important documents are not thoroughly read and are certainly not assimilated. It is certainly the age of impatience -- of quick-fixes, instant food and beverages, ready-made garments and multiple-choice questions. The tendency to use abbreviations in spoken and written language is perhaps an indicator of this phenomenon. It all started with the advent of the Information Age, and people had to change their whole approach to reading in order to cope with the avalanche of information that was drowning them.

I decided to explore this phenomenon in depth, that is, the changing trends in reading and learning, through this column. Then I reminded myself about the dwindling readership of long editorials and essays carried in newspapers. People much prefer to be served small nuggets at a time for mental processing. Hence the popularity of X (previously known as Twitter) and Instagram. In acknowledgment of these considerations, I have decided to change the format of my column this time. It remains to be seen how this will or will not work.

A useful strategy to address several issues in a brief manner is answering FAQs, or “frequently asked questions”. The answers given would provide quick and easy ways to approach or solve problems and would also offer the variety that is always sought by most readers.

I have therefore selected a few questions that we teachers are often asked by those associated with or interested in school education, including students, parents and teachers. The questions and corresponding responses are given below.

Isn’t the modern trend of setting multiple choice questions harming children’s logical thinking and powers of expression?

Creatively set MCQs demand logical thinking but many educators believe that questions requiring essay-type answers must also be included in the paper, otherwise students will not learn to express themselves or even think in depth.

Many schools choose to teach functional rather than formal grammar. Is this a good approach to the teaching of language?

It works for most people, but if one wishes to master a language, grasping the grammar is important. Picking up a language by ear is a great way to learn, but the danger is that it may not always be accurate, especially in the written form.

How can teaching be individualised in large classes?

It is difficult to design a lesson which caters to every individual in a large class. But different styles and strategies may be mixed and matched to deliver a specific topic where the students are required to read, write, speak, watch, listen and draw. A student may be asked to choose any medium to express their opinions and thoughts. For submitting tasks, they may offer more illustrations than writing, make a model or even convey a point through numbers.

If we want to develop individuality, why do most schools insist on uniforms?

In India, we have to be especially careful as there is a wide socio-economic disparity between individuals and groups of students in public schools. A uniform prevents self-consciousness, feelings of inferiority or superiority and undue focus on one’s attire in school. Individuality may be expressed and elicited in many ways other than clothing.

What should be the optimum number of students in a class?

There is no such thing as an “optimum” number. Some prefer smaller classes as it is felt that individual attention cannot be given if the class number is high. Yet many teachers enjoy the dynamics that come into play in a largish class. In fact, in a large class, students learn from the variety of learning styles and the plethora of questions that are handled during each lesson. On the other hand, a small class allows each student to participate at length, and be actively involved in discussions and debates. But the question is how do we define “large” and “small”? It is certainly relative. In some schools any number above fifteen is considered “large”. While in many reputable city schools in India, the class number varies from twenty to fifty plus. So, there is no single answer to this question.

The five sets of questions and answers above, indicate a variety of topics and the reader gets a glimpse into the practical world of teaching and learning while garnering some information.

However, a column dedicated to a single topic exercises the reader’s mind in a different way and explores various aspects of the topic in depth. It is important for teachers not to dilute or simplify matters and reduce all their teaching into small nuggets for easier assimilation.

Authors, too, must not pander to the lowest common denominator and produce slender novels and briefer short stories to reach a wider readership.

It may be pertinent to bring in the topical subject which, incidentally, we are tiring of already: ChatGPT or its latest version GPT-5. Open AI claims that GPT-5 is capable of providing “a PhD-level expertise”. Just imagine -- soon PhDs will also become an “instant” achievement. It has been predicted that AI can kill civilisation as we know it. People will lose their ability to think and we will live and work in a brain-dead world.

In order to prevent such a catastrophe, we have to consciously and deliberately address the complex, engage in creative activity, put our brains to work and let AI carry out the routine and mechanical functions.