Within the last five years since 2020, there has been a dramatic acceleration in the usage of technology in the classroom. This shift enables new ways of learning and makes online courses more popular. As a result, technology based learning is now deeply resonating in the classroom. This means students are expected to use computers for most in-class work, or at least submitting your assignments online. Grades are also managed online.

Students have their own thoughts on this newer, often mandatory, dependence on technology and digital-based learning.

“If we don’t have technology it’s hard to finish assignments, and there’s not much else we can do because it’s all online,” says senior Kylie Warby.

Students have already become extremely dependent on technology. Staying aware of this reality, it is clear that with no digital access, the completion of assignments would become significantly difficult. This dependency suggests that completing online work would be exceptionally more intricate without the digital infrastructure that is the backbone of education. 

While noting the dramatic increase of technology use in the classroom in recent years, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been used a lot prior to the year of 2020. Gen Z is one of the first generations to have consistently accommodated technology use in the classroom, a trend we see dating back to early elementary.

“My education got dependent on technology really early. Even in first grade, we were using iPads and stuff,” sophomore Hendrix Stagge.

For most Gen Z students, operating tablets, computers, and other digital media is almost second nature. However, this comforting dependency raises some serious concerns surrounding whether the convenience of technology outweighs the potential negative consequences of online-focused learning.

Technology in the classroom presents both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include the efficiency of online submissions and the wide range and access of educational resources. These can be advantages in comparison to the concerning disadvantages. The cons may include the enormous amounts of potential distractions, as well as the decline in needed face-to-face social interaction with peers that technology often lacks.