A new study demonstrates a clear correlation between increased use of digital devices and lower math scores in students. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The results of a new study demonstrate a clear correlation between increased use of digital devices and lower math scores in students. The more dependent students are on digital devices, including leaving notifications on their mobile phones, the more their math scores decline.
According to the ‘2023 Digital Education White Paper’ from the Korea Education and Research Information Service, released on January 23, an analysis of the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 revealed such findings.
PISA, an international comparative study conducted every three years by the OECD, evaluates the knowledge of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science.
In South Korea, students spend more time using digital resources like laptops and tablets daily than the OECD average. According to PISA 2022, Korean students reported using digital resources for school activities for 2.2 hours (132 minutes) per day, 12 minutes more than the OECD average of 2 hours.
On weekends, Korean students used digital resources for learning for 2.3 hours (138 minutes), 42 minutes longer than the OECD average of 1.6 hours. The time spent on weekend leisure activities with digital resources was also higher for Korean students (4.4 hours, 264 minutes) than the OECD average (3.9 hours).
The study found that as the time spent using digital resources increased, mathematics proficiency decreased. For Korean students, every additional hour spent using digital resources for learning activities corresponded to a 3-point drop in math proficiency scores, greater than the OECD average drop of 2 points.
For leisure activities, an additional hour of digital resource use led to a 4-point decrease for Korean students and a 5-point decrease on average for the OECD.
Higher dependence on digital devices led to a greater decline in math proficiency scores. Students who kept social networking service (SNS) and app notifications on during classes had lower math scores, with Korean students scoring 27 points lower and the OECD average 17 points lower compared to those who didn’t.
Students who kept notifications on while sleeping also had lower math scores, with Korean students scoring 16 points lower and the OECD average 10 points lower.
Additionally, students who felt anxious without their digital devices nearby scored 7 points lower in Korea and 9 points lower on average for the OECD than those who didn’t feel such anxiety.
The researchers concluded, “Students with higher dependency on digital devices, such as keeping them on during class or sleep and feeling anxious without them, tend to have lower math scores.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
