Bretten (hk) A “snap” on Snapchat, a message on WhatsApp, a like on Instagram – and the concentration is gone. Teachers, parents and students found out on September 30th at the Melanchthon-Gymnasium Bretten (MGB) how the constant flood of short, quick content affects the brains of young people and impairs their ability to concentrate. This year’s Pedagogical Day was under the motto “Digitalization”. The participants took the opportunity to further their education in various workshops and deepen their practical knowledge.
Digitalization in focus
The topics ranged from tools and teaching ideas for collaborative work to data management with the iPad to time-saving tips for teaching and preparation. The conscious use of smart media and artificial intelligence (AI) as a “digital butler” for teachers was also the focus. Another focus was on the correct formulation of requests to the AI – the so-called “prompting” – as well as on legal aspects such as copyright and data protection in the context of AI. “It was important for us to include the different aspects of digitalization in the program,” explains teacher Malte von Hörsten in an interview with Brettener Woche/kraichgau.news. In addition to the specific application tips, the day also looked at the downside of digitalization. Clemens Beisel, social educator and expert in digital media, was invited to provide information about the media behavior of children and young people.
Even eighth to tenth grade students spend 20 to 35 hours a week on TikTok. “With three hours of TikTok per day, young people consume around 2,520 videos per week – each of which is often no longer than 30 seconds,” explained Beisel. “With several hundred videos a day, how is a young person supposed to check the truth of each one?” Beisel asked the group. Algorithms and “filter bubbles” would often reinforce false assumptions, which in turn form a value system based on distorted information. “A catastrophe for our democracy,” Beisel concluded. There would hardly be any time for shades of gray or in-depth analysis.
On average, adults unlock their cell phones 88 times a day
The expert also turned his attention to adults: “We should also take a look at our own noses.” On average, adults unlock their cell phones 88 times a day. It is significant how much self-control is expected of young people when even their parents can hardly resist the distraction. Students would even unlock their cell phones up to 200 times a day. In return, it takes an average of 15 minutes to regain full concentration after a distraction – a phenomenon known in psychology as the “saw blade effect”. “The concentration increases, the cell phone vibrates, the concentration immediately drops again, and this repeats itself,” described the educator. What remains is no longer a constant learning curve, but rather a saw blade pattern. “This of course has a negative impact on learning success,” concluded Beisel, who then discussed the JIM (Youth, Information, Media) study.
This study is an annual study in Germany on the media usage behavior of young people between the ages of twelve and 19. According to JIM 2023, WhatsApp is used regularly by 94 percent of young people, followed by Instagram with 62 percent, TikTok with 59 percent and Snapchat with 49 percent. 63 percent of young people would regularly use YouTube for series, and 50 percent of young people use Netflix. According to Beisel, the study also shows that by 2023, one in three girls and one in four boys will have been sexually harassed online and that 23 percent of young people were unintentionally confronted with pornographic content.
Media education required
The protection of minors on social media is still inadequate. There is a lack of concrete protective measures against dependencies. The endless nature of the offering – whether on Netflix or TikTok – is one of the biggest problems. “We are now talking about total endlessness,” noted Beisel, adding: “The constant fear of missing something can, in extreme cases, lead to media addiction.” Finally, Beisel emphasized the need for comprehensive media education in schools and educational institutions. However, the educator spoke out against a general ban on cell phones in schools. “I am against digital distraction at school, not against digital learning.”
What cell phone rules apply at the MGB? Von Hörsten explains: All students should turn off their cell phones before entering the school and leave them in their pockets. If a student is caught with a cell phone switched on, a 45-minute cell phone arrest will be imposed, which will take place after classes end in the afternoon. “So we have the problem relatively well under control. The students generally adhere to this rule because the arrest appears to be a deterrent,” says von Hörsten.
MGB uses digital tools in sports and music lessons to support students
The teacher at the MGB cites the fact that every teacher and grade 1 (11th grade) are equipped with loaner tablets as positive examples of the use of digital tools. The school would like to have additional devices available to permanently equip the entire course level. In addition, around 80 devices are available to teachers, which can be used in lessons on an hourly basis. The possible uses of the tablets are diverse. For example, in physical education lessons, special apps made it possible to analyze movement sequences in order to subsequently improve them. In music lessons, results created with music writing programs can be listened to directly. Tablets can support individual learning progress, says von Hörsten.
The work of the Pedagogical Day will be continued in the current school year at the MGB, said von Hörsten, especially in the individual subjects, in order to integrate the content into lessons in the long term. The parent work will also be expanded to include information from Clemens Beisel so that parents also become aware of the dangers of using cell phones. “In the sense of an educational partnership between school and parents, we have to work together,” summarizes von Hörsten.
