OVERCOMING DISTRACTIONS IN SCHOOL By Christian Samuel J.S.

BERITA LAINNYA - 19 April 2025

Do you have a moment in school when sometimes you just don’t feel like learning because you have something going on outside of school? Well, nowadays, many teens struggle to stay focused in school because of various distractions. Distractions like social media, lack of sleep, and even underlying mental health conditions can affect their ability to concentrate in school. This struggle can lead to frustration for both students and their families, often affecting academic performance and self-esteem.

There are many causes of distraction in school. For instance, a significant factor is the increased use of digital devices, which can lower the brain’s attention span. Another common factor is sleep deprivation. Many teens fail to get at least 8–10 hours of sleep each night, and that can affect the cognitive function in the brain negatively. Besides that, mental health issues such as anxiety or ADHD can also play a role, as they make focusing on tasks particularly challenging. But it’s not just that, these challenges can also come from the outside, like family problems or bullying. These further increase the difficulties for a teenager to focus in school.

With all of that, here are some practical solutions that can help teens focus more in school. First of all, teens can set specific study goals and create structured schedules that can help manage their time more effectively. Secondly, limiting screen time during study periods and using productivity tools like a daily habit tracker or a task reminder app can boost a teen’s attention spans. Limiting screen time doesn’t necessarily mean not using any electronic devices at all, but teens can use their devices to access some important study materials, like watching videos on YouTube, having a group discussion with their friends, etc. Third, having a healthy lifestyle, like regular exercise each day and a consistent sleep schedule, improves cognitive function and emotional well-being.

Hopefully, these techniques can help you develop productive habits and increase your academic performance in school. Don’t let these distractions interfere with your academic performance, because learning the knowledge in school is an essential to achieving your life goals. God Bless You!

Sources:
https://www.daniel-wong.com/2023/01/18/unmotivated-teenagers/
https://www.joonapp.io/post/reasons-your-child-cant-focus-in-school
https://paradigmtreatment.com/factors-poor-school-performance-teens/