By Merlin Montes

As technology grows and advances, iPads, laptops, and tablets have proven to have an undeniable effect on education. This occurs through the access of technology at home and in other environments meant for studying. In the midst of this spread students have become perpetually distracted by their social media and games on their phones and laptops, taking away time from their homework, projects, or assignments.

It’s safe to say our generation has allowed technology to take over our minds: even Tustin High’s IT specialist Mr. Linnen says, “The next generation will have more power over us’’. One’s education depends on how much effort one puts into it. Technology  continually keeps this generation of students away from their priorities. If technology did not undergo such a revolution as it did in this century, millennial students would have the mindset to put more effort into their work because they are not distracted by the rapidly changing tech. Approximately 95.1%  of current students have a hard time critically thinking and problem solving because they are or have been distracted by their screens.

In some ways, technology can be a good thing. Unlike previous generations, we can now keep in touch with people across the globe in an instant or promptly answer a question by Googling it. Mrs. Hughes, a teacher here at Tustin, supports the trend of technology because now “We [will] always have the technology to help us in anything.” In this sense, technology is a positive factor in students’ lives because it allows them to work collaboratively from the comfort of their own home with their peers and instantaneously access information about subject material to aid them with school work.

Overall, technology can both help and hurt students. With the incoming generation, parents must be wary of their children’s use of their phones and laptops to make sure they are working towards their goals, not just wasting time. It will be interesting to see in the years to come how technology shapes adolescents’ academic lives.