The picture emerging from the research is deeply troubling, at least to anyone who values the depth, rather than just the velocity, of human thought. People who read text studded with links, the studies show, comprehend less than those who read traditional linear text. People who watch busy multimedia presentations remember less than those who take in information in a more sedate and focused manner. People who are continually distracted by emails, alerts and other messages understand less than those who are able to concentrate. And people who juggle many tasks are less creative and less productive than those who do one thing at a time.

The common thread in these disabilities is the division of attention. The richness of our thoughts, our memories and even our personalities hinges on our ability to focus the mind and sustain concentration. Only when we pay deep attention to a new piece of information are we able to associate it "meaningfully and systematically with knowledge already well established in memory," writes the Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel. Such associations are essential to mastering complex concepts. When we're constantly distracted and interrupted, as we tend to be online, our brains are unable to forge the strong and expansive neural connections that give depth and distinctiveness to our thinking. We become mere signal-processing units, quickly shepherding disjointed bits of information into and then out of short-term memory. In an article published in Science last year, Patricia Greenfield, a leading developmental psychologist, reviewed dozens of studies on how different media technologies influence our cognitive abilities. Some of the studies indicated that certain computer tasks, like playing video games, can enhance "visual literacy skills," increasing the speed at which people can shift their focus among icons and other images on screens. Other studies, however, found that such rapid shifts in focus, even if performed adeptly, result in less rigorous and "more automatic" thinking.

In one experiment conducted at Cornell University, for example, half a class of students was allowed to use Internet-connected laptops during a lecture, while the other had to keep their computers shut. Those who browsed the Web performed much worse on a subsequent test of how well they retained the lecture's content. While it's hardly surprising that Web surfing would distract students, it should be a note of caution to schools that are wiring their classrooms in hopes of improving learning. Ms. Greenfield concluded that "every medium develops some cognitive skills at the expense of others." Our growing use of screen-based media, she said, has strengthened visual-spatial intelligence, which can improve the ability to do jobs that involve keeping track of lots of simultaneous signals, like air traffic control. But that has been accompanied by "new weaknesses in higher-order cognitive processes," including "abstract vocabulary, mindfulness, reflection, inductive problem solving, critical thinking, and imagination." We're becoming, in a word, shallower.

TV and its Negative Impact on Literacy SkillsOverviewTV and Early DevelopmentReading and Brain DevelopmentNegative Effects on Adolescence Social SkillsPreparation for Post-Education EmploymentImpacts on adulthoodVideo: Effect of Television on Young ChildrenSourcesAccording to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent PsychiatryWatching three or more hours of TV a day leads to:Poor homework completionNegative attitudes towards schoolBad gradesPoor performance in college16% of 8th graders and 22% of 12th graders have not mastered basic writing.Only 3% of 8th and 6% of 12th graders read at the "advanced" level.Students are unprepared for more advanced classesChildren who watch more TV are less likely to read.Children who don't read before age 8 are much less likely to start reading later in life.This leaves them unprepared for high amounts of reading and writing in high school and college courses.Students who read show much better grasp of writing skills than those who don't - skills that are necessary for advancement later in higher level classes and in the professional world.Adolescents who watch excessive amounts of TV often lack simple, yet necessary social skills.Passive interaction with TV leads to less interaction with peers and parentsVital social and communicative skills are slow to develop, or never develop at all.Reading and the BrainReading forces the mind to translate words on a page into images in the mind. The brain has to develop its own images and ideas, triggering the development of imagination and creativity. This is called "active participation."TV, on the other hand, requires "passive participation." Television provides images for the brain, removing any need for imagination or creativity and drastically reducing a child's vocabulary, word recognition, and critical-thinking skills.

+ Negative Aspects of Text Messaging  Text messages have their benefits, but also have negative aspects that can be harmful.  With everyone feeling the need to be extremely connected to their phones today, they often have issues if they do not have their phone with them.  Teenagers are having trouble focusing in school and have even been facing problems focusing in everyday life as they feel the need to be attached to their phone 24/7.

+ School & Text Messaging  Students today feel that they can often multi-task while doing school work, talking to friends online, and texting.  They do not see that this is affecting their school performance when they do not devote the time to study and focus on their homework for a certain amount of time without constantly being in touch with their friends.  Parents have tried to limit the time that their children can limit their cellular devices, but it is becoming harder as they technology is continuing to grow.

Text Messaging & School (cont.)  Constant text messaging has become a concern to doctors & psychologists as they fear that constantly texting is leading to the downfall in school.  Grades, performance, and stress are some of the concerns as teenagers are often putting off projects until the last minute in order to complete them. This is leading to not as good of quality in their projects are worse and they are often unable to complete them fully.