The sound of a dry erase marker scribbling across the whiteboard is mimicked by the scratching of pencils of students trying desperately to copy down what is being written on the board. Every student is laser focused on the board. All except one. 

At the back of the class, eyes focused on his computer, ninth grader Davis Dyson isn’t taking notes, he’s playing Roblox. Colors flash before his eyes as he fails to hear the words being said by the teacher, too distracted by the game he is playing.

Playing video games in class has provided a large distraction throughout the student body, which, according to some teachers and students, can severely affect learning and cause a disadvantage to education.

Students enjoy playing video games in class, especially when they have a substitute teacher, or if they have no other work to do in that class, though some students play video games even while there is a lesson occurring.

“I feel like it just makes [class] a lot more interesting,” Davis said. “A lot of time if the class is trying to focus, I just try to put all my focus into something better.”

Lots of students think of class as more of a chore, and set aside specific time for video games, even in class. Though they spend plenty of their time on video games, most students believe that this extensive screen time does not affect their learning, even when they put their attention into their screen rather than the teacher. 

“I think I do pretty well in school and still have time for myself,” ninth grader Nikhil Unadkat said. 

Many students believe that they only play video games when they are not required to pay attention. Some play these games despite there being a lesson going on, and still do not believe it affects their learning. 

Teachers have very different opinions.

“It’s really bad for your short-term memory usage and your ability to process things when your head is stuck in computer gaming mode,” science teacher Daniel Calleri said. “It’s a mode that activates only certain parts of your brain, and it takes about 15 minutes to switch out of that and into a more productive mode, like the parts of your brain when you’re accessing logical processing.”

Teachers and students have different perspectives not only on how video games affect their learning but why they play these games in class when they could be getting work done.

“They’re addicted to it,” Dr. Calleri said. “All it does is tweak the reptile part of your brain that sends out those signals that say ‘I am content.’”