Studies argue that student literacy is crucial as it drives academic success, cognitive development, and communications; however, many educators fear that the rise of technology in the educational environment has posed a serious threat to student literacy.
AP English Language Teacher Richard Nardi said, “Each era requires ever-increasing ability in literacy because the problems of the future need imagination and critical thinking that comes from reading widely and regularly.”
According to an article about student literacy, low literacy is associated with higher dropout rates, and increased involvement in the criminal justice system, while strong literacy skills help students to understand a more complex curriculum, analyze information, and also communicate effectively (theeducationhub.org).
Some teachers believe literacy has gone down significantly because students do not want to read. AP World History Teacher Jonathan Schiller said, “I have not seen a decline in skill to read but a decline in students choosing to read.”
According to an article in The New York Times, many students now depend on online tools instead of physical texts. Teachers are pointing to the use of online programs and curricula that are based on articles and short answer questions rather than novels (nytimes.com).
English Teacher Richard Frink said, “A big issue is students do not have books or printed text anymore and instead use computers for reading.”
According to an article published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, students have been becoming dependent on online tools, specifically on artificial intelligence to either cheat or as an educational assistant. The article stated, “While academic integrity remains a concern for both adults and teens alike, many study participants highlighted positive academic experiences they have had with generative AI…. While other teens surveyed pointed out that ‘not all kids use it to cheat in school’” (nytimes.com).
Nardi said, “Teens today are literate in social media and technology that informs them in negotiating life in their world.” Nardi explained that this plays a big role in students not comprehending information as they should; instead of deep reading texts in books, many students just skim and scan the book on the computer or read only segments of a text.
According to an article about physical versus digital reading, paper books enhance comprehension, improve information retention and facilitate deeper focus compared to reading digitally. Books tend to offer an immersive experience, whereas online reading is prone to pop-ups, ads, and notification interruptions (sciencedirect.com).
The phenomenon is referred to as “the screen inferiority effect.” The article explains that LED screens can cause more visual and mental fatigue, which reduces the ability to concentrate. Digital reading leads to large chunks of text being missed, leading readers to overlook sections of text that may contain essential information. The physical act of holding a book and turning its pages helps the brain map and retain the information (sciencedirect.com).