Screening for problems

摘要

Can gadgets help to educate young people? Many would say yes: digital literacy is seen as key to a modern upbringing, and screens are being introduced at ever earlier ages. But to others, they're potentially harmful distractions. There are schools that frown on kids toting tablets and universities that ban laptops from lecture theatres. Many of those who eschew these gadgets have been swayed not by facts and research, but by opinion and experience - teachers concerned that tech-addled kids lack communications skills and focus, for example. That doesn't mean their views should be discounted: rather, it means the research is sorely needed.