Digital Device Impact on Education of Teens

According to a Gallup study, teachers in the U.S. are slightly more likely to see student use of digital devices as having a positive rather than negative effect on the overall education of students. In contrast, they are far more negative about the effects of those devices on students' physical and mental health.

Key findings include:

• 41% of teachers say digital devices are helpful to students' education
• Most see devices as harmful to students' physical and mental health
• Parents have much more positive views of digital devices than teachers
• Four in ten K-12 teachers say students' use of digital devices has a "mostly helpful" effect on students' education, while 28% of teachers instead describe the effect of these devices as "mostly harmful."
• Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of teachers in the U.S. (69%) believe students' use of digital devices has mostly harmful effects on students' mental health; a slightly smaller share of teachers (55%) express this concern with respect to students' physical health.

These results suggest that while the greater share of teachers see the educational potential of these types of technology, there is no broad consensus among teachers.

Busteed, B., & Dugan, A. (2018). U.S. teachers see digital devices as net plus for education. Washington, D.C.: Gallup. http://news.gallup.com/poll/232154/teachers-digital-devices-net-plus-education.aspx?g_source=link_NEWSV9&g_medium=LEAD&g_campaign=item_&g_content=U.S.%2520Teachers%2520See%2520Digital%2520Devices%2520as%2520Net%2520Plus%2520for%2520Education