Your teen just got home from school. They sit down to study. Their book is open, laptop on, but then ding, a notification pops up. They tell themselves “it’s just one text” or “just a quick scroll”. Before long their study session is almost over and they haven’t even started studying yet!
Sound familiar?
The problem isn’t effort. It’s their attention. If your teen wants to study smarter, not just longer, they need to learn to protect their focus. This crucial first step is often overlooked and creates bad habits that can be extremely difficult to break!
Attention Matters More Than Willpower
Attention is the brain’s gatekeeper. It decides what is processed or retained and ignores what it thinks isn’t important. When information doesn’t pass through this gate, it never has a chance to make it into the student’s memory.
What this means is that even while your student is sitting at their desk with a book open studying with distractions still present, real learning isn’t even happening!
The ultimate truth is none of us can multitask. While many of us claim we can, we’re not actually retaining information effectively. The brain works best when it is focusing on one task at a time. When juggling notifications, YouTube videos, and Algebra problems all at once, your teen’s memory becomes overloaded.
To truly study smarter, your teen needs focused attention on the task at hand, not just time with a book open.
Why Teens Struggle With Distractions
Teenagers are growing up with a world at their fingertips. Smart phones make it easier than ever to stay distracted. Hundreds of apps are competing for your teen’s attention in a wave of constant alerts and notifications. Additionally, your teen is still developing their prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that controls impulse control and focus. When the constant alerts from their phones are present during study time, it makes the whole process and uphill battle.
A study published on sciencedirect.com had the following conclusion on smart phone addiction in relation to academic performance:
The findings from this study advance understanding of the negative effects of smartphone addiction on learning. The results of this meta-analysis showed that smartphone addiction has negative effects on students’ academic performance. When students spend time on their phones to the extent of neglecting their practices of daily life, engaging in excessive smartphone use, or excessively texting on their phones, there is a tendency to develop behavioral addiction to smartphone use, thereby experiencing a decline in academic performance. Given this, active engagement in exercising control and minimal smartphone use may be beneficial for student learning and academic performance.
Even if your teen isn’t “addicted” to their phone, having it present during study time negatively correlates to their retention of information. All that being said, it doesn’t mean your teen can’t learn to focus. It only means they need a distraction-free environment with a strategy that supports their brain.
4 Ways to Help Your Teen Study Smarter
Lets dive into four ways parents can help their teens protect their attention while making the most of study time:
1. Create a Distraction-Free Zone
Phones need to be out of sight. There’s no way around it. Notifications should be off, and the study space should be in a room free from other devices like: Televisions, video games, etc. A quiet and consistent study space transforms how your teen remembers. I recommend that when they’re reviewing material after studying for a prolonged period of time, suggest that they move to a new environment. When a student changes their study space like this, it actually helps the brain with recalling and solidifying memories. I’d recommend they check out the public library, school study halls, parks, or anywhere else that they can find a quiet place to sit down and review.
2. Use Timers and Breaks
I recommend using the Pomodoro method. This study technique has the student studying with intense focus for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. This method helps the student build stamina and prevents burnout. Additionally having these short bursts of focus are actually more powerful than a long session (often called cramming).
3. Prioritize One Task at a Time
Your teens should not be switching between homework and TikTok. As explained previously, multitasking is not efficient and does more harm than good. Encourage your teen to set a single, clear goal for each study session. This goal should be within reach and accomplishable during this session so your teen can stay motivated and have a sense of accomplishment.
4. Model Attention at Home
Teens are impressionable. If you want your child to unplug while studying, begin implementing the same habit in your own routine. You can do this by putting your phone away at dinner, or when working from home. This makes attention a family matter and shows your teen that they’re not alone in their efforts.
The Payoff: Study Smarter, Stress Less
When your teen manages their attention effectively, they improve their: Memory, comprehension, and even confidence! Gone are the days of wasting energy from switching between apps and homework and your student can begin building knowledge that lasts!
At The Tenney School, our one-on-one instruction model not only protects attention, but fosters it. Each one of our students puts their phone in a secure room at the beginning of the day where they are free from the digital world of distractions. We’ve found that our students don’t just study harder, they study smarter each and every day! If this sounds like the right environment for your student, I highly recommend inquiring for more information where we can discuss how our program can help your teen.