Summary and Response to "You'll Never Learn"

Annie Murphy Paul

“You’ll Never Learn” by Annie Murphy Paul informs parents and teachers that kids are not doing as well as they could be in school because of their attempt to multitask on work and social media. Paul wrote that Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University saw that students in his class were looking at Facebook, texting, talking on the phone, listening to music, and surfing on the web while not paying much attention to him and his lecture. Paul states students get too distracted with technology in school and can harm the child’s grades and GPA. School work and social networking use the same part of the brain which causes unsuccessful multitasking for the student. Some teachers use spyware, with permission of the student, some teachers have observers at the back of the room, and some teachers ask the students who are on their phones questions about the previous part of the lecture. Paul says that students are too distracted at school with school and something needs to be done about it.

One of Annie Murphy Paul's other books.

“You’ll Never Learn” by Annie Murphy Paul is false because students have the ability to be more productive than before with technology and electronics. Students are not interested enough in school, so they use their time on other things that are more interesting to them instead of doing work. Teachers that have students not paying attention should make their lessons more interactive and less speaking. Students are more focused on activities when they have to be engaged in it and have to think more. Parents can also keep their child focused by taking away the child’s electronic or phone. Ultimately, it is the student’s fault and problem that they are not learning as many things in class and do not do as well in school. They need to learn to focus by themselves without needing somebody to help them not get distracted. Paul says that students are not very good at being multitaskers but in “A Vision of Students Today” a girl holds up a piece of paper that says “I am a multitasker. I have to be.” Students in high school and in college get so much work that they need to learn how to properly multitask and not get as much distracted. If lectures were more exciting than students would be less distracted and would be more focused.