Screen Schooled Co-Author Joe Clement Speaks to Philosophy Students

Maham shows our appreciation for Mr. Clement discussing his book Screen Schooled- Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber. This discussion took place April 3rd, 2018.

Maham- How old are your kids and do you see yourself parenting them differently than many of your friends? ANSWER-Even my 3 year old daughter, who doesn't have a tablet or phone or any real personal screen time, went though a phase where while she was pooping she wanted to look at pictures on my wife's phone.

Logan- Do you think you're going to win this battle and how do you define winning? ANSWER- I think I will win this battle because of all the stupid things schools have done. Way back we had areas for kids to smoke and no walls inside schools. That changed and this will too.

Adam (not pictured)- What type of positive and negative feedback have you received since writing Screen Schooled? ANSWER- I've received surprisingly negative comments. At the same time I've received lots of positive feedback mostly from teachers and parents.

Gio (second row front)- Please explain why being bored is a good thing. I can use my phone to create something or learn about new things. Isn't that a good response to boredom? ANSWER-

Guru (left of Gio)- We read in your book about your dislike of eSports. What's the problem?  ANSWER-It has taken me a while to come around to that. I'm still not sure I get it, but that's mostly a generational thing.

Chris (first row, left) Are you in favor of BYOD and the cost to the taxpayers that will entail? ANSWER-I am not in favor of anything that is going to result in students spending more of their day on screens.

Jasmine (back left)- A 60 Minutes story showed how tech companies are purposely making their games/apps addictive. Do you think there should be laws against the makers of those devices. Would you take legal action against them?  ANSWER- It wouldn't be easy to make any kind of laws since technology is so prevalent. They would have to prove malice.

Hieu (second right)- To what extent is your life your phone? ANSWER- I use my phone pretty much just for texting and calling, but that's mostly because I'm old. I didn't grow up with a cell phone, so it never became part of my life. It's harder for you guys.

Asya (second row left)- In short, what do you want us to do? ANSWER-Just think about what you're doing to your brains, and ask yourself if the digital version of what you are doing ("talking" with someone over text or a social media app) is better than the "analog" version (actually being in the same space as another human and speaking with one another.

Hehza (last row)- You write about many problems due to screen time. How much of that is your generations fault? ANSWER- All of it.

Julia (left)- My name is Julia and I'm addicted to my cell phone. Class- "Hello Julia".  What is the right amount of screen/technology use in the classroom and what is too much? And if a teacher makes the decision to use more than you, what's your take on that?  ANSWER-I respect any decision a teacher makes if it is truly in the best interest of students. We are often told, though, that things on screen are necessarily better than things not on screen and that's just not the case.

Alessia- In the channel 7 interview you mentioned how to help parents teach their kids to put their phones down. How can we help ourselves put our phones down? ANSWER- A good way to help yourselves it to take an hour of screen time away per day. You can also download an app that tells you how much time you have used on your smart phone.

Erin- In your book, you give an anecdote about a girl being babysat by technology in a McDonald's as her mother works.  How can you not condone the use of technology as a substitute for a preschool education for the less fortunate?

Answer: Technology does have benefits in this case, but she was not using it for educational purposes.  There should be more affordable options out there for those who cannot afford preschools, as early education is obviously very important.

Erin: Yet, because there is no such option available, would you rather have child uneducated and have no screen time than be learning from technology?

Answer: It's obviously a really difficult situation with no great answer until we make child care for working parents an affordable priority. However, laptops are not the answer for this.

Erin: The Flynn effect is a scientific effect that shows with each generation we get progressively smarter, and score more highly on intelligence tests.  Do you think the mirroring growth of technology has any correlation with this?

Answer: I don't want to debate that effect, but studies show that students today struggle with critical thinking, problem solving and focus. Additionally, social skills such as leadership and empathy are lacking, when workplaces list leadership and empathy in their top five requirements for future employees.  This lack of empathy is scary, and, frankly, disordered, and I think may cause problems in the future.

Erin: Finally, who hurt you?

Answer:  Well, I was inspired to write the book after a teacher friend and I were lamenting the overuse of technology in the classroom and the modes that are being forced onto us.  From there, the book blossomed out of research and a shared passion for change in this area.

Alyse (back left)- Regarding your student who clutched her phone when she had to join a group of kids in your class, is grabbing her phone any different than someone holding a cross or beads to comfort them in a stressful situation? ANSWER- Phones don't have sentimental meaning such as a rosary or teddy bear. If that's what people are looking to for comfort, that's a sad case.

Haroon- How has your life changed since writing your book? ANSWER- Not a ton. One thing is that people around the country and the world sometimes email with stories and questions about this issue. We've met great people this way.

Carlos- Technology in education is seen as something so helpful and innovative. Making the people think otherwise sounds challenging to over come.  What makes you so sure this will be noticed and changed? ANSWER- Yes companies are exploiting the educational system but it will be up to the parents to notice the truth about technology. In the past, people have worked together to make changes about much less serious issues. Helping our kids be happy and healthy has got to be priority one. Once parents realize what is happening to their children they will demand changes.

Camryn- I'm addicted to my phone and want to know how to stop. Answer- I suggest you try putting the free app "addictometer" on your phone. It's to show how much you use your phone. It sort of "shames" people into cutting back.

Travis- From the way you were talking about them, it sounded like you believe that video games have no value? Answer- Video games are like any other form of entertainment media, its all about balance.