Here is how I would respond to the worksheet questions from the perspective of a 19 year old college student:
Describe your overall ability to pay attention when it comes to school work (<100 words):
My ability to pay attention in school is not great. I’m easily distracted by my phone and social media and have a hard time focusing on class lectures or studying for more than 20 minutes at a time before needing a break. I’m constantly multitasking which makes it hard to give my full attention to schoolwork.
On a scale of 1 – 10, indicate how addicted you are to you phones:
9 – I’m extremely addicted to my phone. I’m constantly checking it, scrolling through apps, and relying on it for entertainment and distraction. It’s very hard for me to put my phone away and focus.
While reading “My Distraction Sickness” please note how long it takes you to get through the piece (Google says it’s a 45 min read); also, count the number of times you get distracted (for whatever reason) and tally them at the end:
It took me about 60 minutes to read the article because I got distracted checking social media, texting, etc about 15 times throughout.
Describe the tone of all three articles, how do they differ? (<100 words):
“My Distraction Sickness” has a very negative tone about the dangers of distraction. “In Defense of Distraction” is more positive about the benefits of distraction. And “The Epidemic of Distraction” has a balanced tone, acknowledging pros and cons.
What are Sam Anderson’s primary arguments in defense of distraction? (see part III of In Defense of Distraction) Do you find them convincing? Why or why not (<150 words):
Anderson argues distraction provides mental breaks, can stimulate creativity, and leads to accidental discoveries. I find his arguments somewhat convincing as I do think taking social media/texting breaks helps me recharge and being online exposes me to new ideas. But distraction clearly hurts my productivity and focus too.
After reading all three articles, what are your thoughts on this “epidemic of distraction”? (<50 words):
The constant distractions of modern technology are definitely harming my attention span and ability to focus. But occasional distractions can also be fun and provide mental breaks. Moderation is key.