The age-old rote-learning system while preparing for an examination is completely passé. With the current generation of students being tech-savvy, access to the Internet is an imperative component of exam preparation be it for accessing coursework from the educational institution’s website or depending on Google for last minute revision.
Going offline or switching off one’s phone is thus, not a viable option. However, the temptation to open the dreaded Snapchat or Instagram notification is something that students still struggle with.
Explaining this phenomenon, psychotherapist Parul Khone says, “If you notice, it’s not the students who are flustered about social media usage while studying. Rather, it’s the parents who ask me how to keep their kids off their phones. They need to understand that taking away the phone or switching off the Internet will cause more harm than good. Every generation of students has its own way of dealing with exam preparation. There was a generation that was comfortable listening to music on full-blast while studying, now we have kids who constantly need the Internet.”
Dr Usha Raman, a professor of Digital Culture at the University of Hyderabad, says, “It depends on the device that the student is using. If they are working on a laptop that is connected to the Internet, it is more difficult, because the app-based time limit that one can set on the iPad or smartphones to block social media apps is not easily available on a laptop or desktop. Students can regulate their app access on their phones. However, the trick to working with a laptop is to spend some time downloading everything that you need and then consciously disconnecting from the Internet. Students need to separate information access from study mode.”
Meanwhile, professor Devadas Rajaram, an active advocate of social media who teaches the same at Asian College of Journalism, opines, “Switching to another platform isn’t the answer to the problem. Students who are preparing for exams should prioritise their screen time by switching to educational content on social media. It’s hard to get young people off social media altogether, so we should look at the positive side of it rather than focusing on the negatives.” He adds, “There are umpteen subject-specific social media platforms which are useful for students to fine-tune what they learn from books and lectures. Learning via social platforms can be fun, interactive and less stressful. Of course, how the students manage their time is important.”
However, it is not possible to tackle the social media monster alone. Therefore, Anjali Lal Gupta, a professor of Print and New Media at the Department of Communication, UoH, says that it makes sense for a student to take the help of a sibling or a parent to track their social media usage. “One rule students can follow is to limit themselves to opening only two tabs, and if necessary keep closing tabs so that they do not end up jumping from one Wikipedia link to another, sometimes even finding themselves researching a topic that is unnecessary. Also, if a parent, guardian or a sibling is consciously asked by the student to come and check the screen timing, it is very helpful,” she suggests.
Parul Khone also adds, “With the reducing attention span of students, one definitely needs to indulge in some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day. The secretion of serotonin and dopamine increases the focus of the student.”
