The decisive factor as to whether media negatively or positively impacts students is not how much media, but what kind of media students consume, according to a number of recent studies. (See Reference 1, page 2.) Exposure to media in the first few years of life may be associated with poor cognitive development, according to a Princeton Study, whose authors say well-designed educational television for children over three can be highly beneficial for the brain and subsequent academic performance. (See Reference 1, page 10.) Pure entertainment and media violence in particular can lead to lower grades and poorer brain development, researchers say.
It's well known that people learn new ideas faster when pictures accompany the words describing them. Films, videos, visualizations and news stories can showcase complex ideas in a short period of time, helping quantitative reasoning, according to the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton University in Canada. (See Reference 2, page 1.) Used in the classroom, media can provoke discussion and self assessment, and use contemporary culture to engage students in real world events and policies. Media also enables students to experience worlds beyond their own. (See Reference 2.)
A 2010 study of Twitter found that college students who used Twitter in an educationally engaging function had higher Grade Point Averages than those who did not, and concluded the platform could be used to motivate students and improve participation of faculty. (See Reference 3, page 1.)
Other research has been less favorable.
A 2011 study found that about two-thirds of college students use electronic media while in class, studying or doing homework, thereby increasing distraction and lowering their grades. (See Reference 4, page 6) Facebook, YouTube and Twitter give students modes to procrastinate, making them less productive, the study found. An Ohio State University study showed Facebook use significantly lowers grade-point average, although another study contradicted those findings. (See Reference 4, page 7)
In 2010, Stanford University held a seminar on media multi-tasking. Experts there said today's students are never in the “here and now," slowing down the time it takes them to complete assignments. (See Reference 5, page 8.) Industry representatives at the seminar said students now enjoy the continual support and companionship of others, but experts countered that multi-taskers' minds not only tire more quickly, but have trouble retaining information or achieving “metacognition”, or awareness of their own learning. (See Reference 5, page 11.)
Online chatting, social media, and spell-check programs have led students to neglect learning proper grammar and spelling, but more importantly, research shows that screen media have changed the experience of reading. (See Reference 6.) The idea of sitting in a library and quietly reading a book is now archaic to most young people. The declining interest in reading, other than to pass examinations, is retarding the ability to learn through reading, experts say. (See Reference 6.)
Although digital media makes it incredibly easy to access information and improves the ability to shift focus rapidly, it may negatively affect concentration and information retention. As online socializing replaces in-person interactions, it raises questions about whether students are equipped to communicate orally and fully engage in classroom learning. (Reference 5, page 11)