Is it
possible? Can we give our children a
disorder? No, of course we can’t. And while the definitive cause of Attention
Deficit Disorders is unknown, experts will agree that genetics and distinct neurological
patterns are at play. Additionally,
there is much research as to ways that the environment, genetics, lifestyle
choices and other factors can both exacerbate and mitigate the symptoms of
Attention Disorder.
In an article titled, "Attention Must Be Paid! Schools need to teach students to maintain attention, not cater to short-attention spans," author Barry Schwartz makes some interesting and valid points. He states, “Again and again, we are told in
this information-overloaded digital age, complex and subtle arguments just
won’t hold the reader’s or viewer’s attention.” And further, “By catering to diminished attention, we are making a
colossal and unconscionable mistake. The world is a complex and subtle place,
and efforts to understand it and improve it must match its complexity and
subtlety. We are treating as unalterable a characteristic that can be changed.”
Is Schwartz
on to something? While we cannot cause a neurological disorder, can we
potentially exacerbate the symptoms of, or even mirror the symptoms of ADD/ADHD
in typically functioning students?
It’s a
scary thought, actually.
Schwartz asserts
that his focus is on issues of motivation, not the symptoms of
ADD/ADHD. Yet he continues, “Maintaining attention is a skill. It has
to be trained, and it has to be practiced. If we cater to short attention spans
by offering materials that can be managed with short attention spans, the skill
will not develop. The “attention muscle” will not be exercised and
strengthened. It is as if you complain to a personal trainer about your weak
biceps and the trainer tells you not to lift heavy things. Just as we don’t
expect people to develop their biceps by lifting two-pound weights, we can’t
expect them to develop their attention by reading 140-character tweets,
200-word blog posts, or 300-word newspaper articles.”
While
interesting, I do not fully agree. Since the advent of Twitter and those
140-character tweets, I am actually reading more about trends in my field (I
found Schwartz’s article, didn’t I?) and I am far more connected to colleagues
through what is referred to as a PLN (Personal Learning Network). Further, short
blog posts enable me to read more content, more frequently. I can sustain attention, but in my busy life
I don’t always want to.
What do you
think? Can we train our “attention
muscle”? Do we need to? What are the implications for educating
students with disabilities? And how
might this affect supplemental religious and faith-based education?