For the second week of our inquiry project, we focused on how social media and phone use affect attention span, concentration, and productivity. One of the activities I did was tracking my own screen time and comparing study sessions with and without my phone nearby.

My average screen time for the week was about 6 hours per day. To be honest, I found this kind of surprising seeing that I spend around 6 hours on my phone every day made me realize how much time social media and technology take up in my daily routine. My three most used apps were Snapchat, Instagram, and Notes. I wasn’t particularly surprised by these results because I use all three of these apps regularly throughout the day. 

To better understand how social media affects my concentration, I did an exercise where I compared studying with my phone beside me vs studying with my phone hidden away in another room. I found that I was able to complete more work in a shorter period of time when my phone was not within reach. I also found myself unintentionally going to reach for my phone since I’m so used to having it by my side 24/7. When it was by my side my notifications would go off and grab my attention. Even if I only checked Snapchat or Instagram for a minute or two, those small interruptions would break my concentration and make it harder for me to return to the task I was working on.

I always knew that scrolling and notifications hindered my focus but I never realized just how much until after completing this exercise.When I checked my phone during study sessions, it often led to several extra minutes of scrolling before I returned to my work. Once my attention shifted away from studying, it took time to regain my focus and everytime I picked it up I had to restart my focus. When my phone was out of sight, I was less tempted to check it and was able to stay engaged with my work for longer periods of time.

One interesting finding was the effect this had on my mood. I noticed that when I studied without my phone nearby, I felt more productive and accomplished because I was getting more work done. As a result, my mood improved as well. On the other hand, when I was frequently distracted by notifications and social media, I sometimes felt frustrated because tasks took longer to complete.

These past few weeks have been quite busy for me so it wasn’t that much of a challenge to continue making an effort to use my phone less. In doing so, I have noticed a significant improvement in both my productivity and my overall mood. I have been able to stay focused on tasks for longer periods of time, complete work more efficiently, and feel less distracted throughout the day. Below are screenshots comparing my screen time before I started monitoring and limiting my phone use and after making these changes.  

Screenshot

This activity also connected to the concept of self-regulated learning. By putting my phone away while studying, I was intentionally managing distractions and creating an environment that helped me stay focused. This showed me that learning is not only about accessing information but also about developing strategies to manage attention and stay engaged with tasks. 

This week also highlighted one of the challenges of distributed and open learning environments. While social media provides immediate access to information, educational resources, and communication, it can also compete for learners attention. My experience showed that having access to information at all times does not necessarily lead to productive learning if distractions are not managed effectively. 

This week helped me better understand the relationship between social media and attention span. While social media can be useful for communication and accessing information, my own experience showed that constant notifications and easy access to social media can reduce focus and productivity. This connects to our inquiry question because it demonstrates how digital technologies can both support and set back learning depending on how they are used. Going forward, I think I will continue putting my phone away during study sessions because it helps me stay focused, complete work more efficiently, and feel better overall.