“It’s no secret that students today face the ultimate paradox—the same tools they need to use to complete their work can also provide their biggest distractions from completing work.” How can we help them manage this struggle? https://t.co/xmaOzXpvfU

— PBS Teachers (@pbsteachers) November 13, 2019

How Intrinsic Motivation Helps Students Manage Digital Distractions

By Ana Homayoun     Oct 8, 2019

According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of teenagers check their phones as soon as they get up (and so do 58 percent of their parents), and 45 percent of teenagers feel as though they are online on a nearly constant basis. Interestingly, and importantly, over half of U.S. teenagers feel as though they spend too much time on their cell phones.

Research on intrinsic motivation focuses on the importance of autonomy, competency and relatedness in classroom and school culture.

According to one Common Sense Media report, called Social Media, Social Life, 57 percent of students believe social media use often distracts them when they should be doing homework. In some ways, the first wave of digital citizenship education faltered by blocking distractions from school networks and telling students what to do, rather than effectively encouraging them to develop their own intrinsic motivation around making better choices online and in real life.

Research also suggests that setting high expectations and standards for students can act as a catalyst for improving student motivation, and that a sense of belonging and connectedness in school leads to improved academic self-efficacy and more positive learning experiences.

Educators and teachers who step back and come from a place of curiosity, compassion and empathy (rather than fear, anger and frustration) are better poised to deal with issues related to technology and wellness.

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more on intrinsic motivation in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=intrinsic

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/04/03/use-of-laptops-in-the-classroom/