Technology Can Be a Tool for Student Success, and a Distraction at Home

Smartphones, laptops and Internet access are becoming so ubiquitous that places without them, such as some U.S. grade schools, seem backward by comparison. Much fanfare has been made about the digital divide -- the gap between those who have access to IT and those who have very little access or none at all. Researchers study this divide, often at the grade-school level, to see how technology -- or a lack thereof -- affects student performance. The focus often is on how broadband access and computers impact students' work on campus, although recent research incorporates the digital divide's impacts in students' after-school and home lives. Surprisingly some researchers are finding that the digital divide's impact at home may not be as great as is commonly assumed.

"The problem that kids are facing is that when high-speed Internet service comes into their home, it's leading them to do things like play games online, and chat or Facebook with their friends -- and it's actually leading them to spend less time on their homework," said Jacob Vigdor, professor of public policy and economics at Duke University.