We use digital technology every day and for every purpose. Education is one of the numerous spheres, which is combined with technology. It offers a wide range of great benefits. Simultaneously, it has many drawbacks as well. Students don’t always use it for educational objectives. We’d like to analyze both sides to provide you with an objective evaluation.
Advantages
Technology has multiple benefits, and we’ll highlight the most impactful ones.
Access to All Sorts of Information. Students receive the ultimate possibility to find any kind of information. What was impossible some thirty years ago is a pleasant reality today. If a standard textbook lacks some updated data, it can be found on the Internet. Thus, students solve any academic complications.
Quick Online Writing Assistance. It’s no secret that millions of students from all around the globe actively use the assistance of academic writing platforms. Sometimes, pro essay writing services may become the only solution for busy students. They may have too many tasks, which are both academic and non-academic. Thus, they begin to look for different alternatives. As they order help online, it also belongs to the sphere of digital technology. Writing services help to manage any academic assignment. Professional writers know how to handle anything fast and in accordance with the official standards. Students likewise access different forums, online lessons, webinars, workshops, and other forms of online events. Thus, they solve merely every complication.
Learning Beyond the Program. A few decades ago, it was almost impossible to learn more than it was predetermined by an educational program. Nowadays, it’s no problem anymore. If students feel they need to enlarge their knowledge and enhance skills, they find the required materials online. The Internet offers different guides, articles, to-do lists, manuals, tutorials, and similar stuff. Besides, there are multiple communications, forum discussions, online lessons, and so on. It is quite easy and fast to find appropriate educational materials to learn more and develop any kind of skill.
Promotion of Self-Confidence. Thanks to technology, the role of teachers/professors are minimized. They act as guides, and so, students work more on their own. This develops self-confidence and helps to achieve a lot without anybody’s support.
Disadvantages
Now we’d like to be just and highlight some crucial drawbacks.
- Distraction. A survey carried out by WashingtonPost in 2013 showed a high percentage of distraction during the learning process. 90% of teachers claim that digital technology makes students inattentive and irresponsible. They prefer to text during the classes instead of learning. Almost 80% of students confessed that it hurts when they don’t send and receive messages during the classes. This merely ruins the whole process of learning. Besides, students play video games, watch movies, read posts of non-educational origin, etc. Even when they do it after classes, they steal time for learning.
- A Lack of Social Communication : Youngsters spend heaps of time on chatting and reviewing multimedia content on social media. In the meanwhile, they lack a real in-person communication, and it’s a big problem. Young people lose self-confidence. They may be “heroes” and “gurus” of online chatting. Nonetheless, they fail miserably when it comes to reality. They are almost unable to have a normal conversation about how their day passes or something like that. They get socially isolated, and it leads to many mental and personal problems. Undoubtedly, it has negative effects on their academic progress. Additionally, they have many complications with socialization and mental stability.
- Great Addiction. Many students seem to act like blind kittens when they are deprived of their digital assistants. Mind that this issue takes place for a certain group of people. If a student uses digital technology pretty rarely, the problem of addiction to technology doesn’t occur. If a student uses technological devices and online assistance too frequently, he/she is in big trouble. Such students do not know what to do with their assignments. They are too dependent on technology. When you take away their favorite “toys”, they are completely helpless. Such folks won’t handle even the simplest assignments. Besides, they get lazier.
- Cyber Threats. Another great problem is related to online safety. Many inexperienced and naive online users get bullied via the Internet. Another possible threat comes from hackers. They break firewalls and use private data of people for illegal purposes. Thus, they may steal your money or use your data to do that. Students are under constant fear.
As you can see, it is a complicated issue with two opposite outcomes. The resourcefulness of science and technology is huge, and it is effectively combined with education. Nonetheless, students and teachers ought to be cautious. There are potential hazards, which can do a lot of harm to the learning abilities and personal life of youngsters. It’s necessary to find the middle ground.