How #Back to School May Actually Mean Back to Screen Time, Chronic Absenteeism and the Growing Disengagement Pattern Happening In Many Schools

When learning becomes hijacked by distractions

By Catherine Patterson-Sterling, PhD, RCC

The best part about fresh starts and new beginnings in calendar cycles is the emotional honeymoon. At the beginning of each school year, classrooms burst with the scent of clean desks, sparkling halls, and the floors whereby new back-to-school student sneakers squeak against the glistening floors. Everything is new including teacher and administrator readiness for what the school year brings given their ideal long well-deserved rests from Summer holidays.

All is good until the emotional honeymoon starts to wane as student empty seats begin to form pockets in classes and, in general, student eyes start darting way from their work with the obligation of assignments to the escapism that comes from a blast of dopamine with a notification from their phones. Then the aches and discomfort sets in whereby students need to go home, have an appointment that now lasts a week, and events on the horizon become more important than the school work of each day. Absenteeism has reared it’s ugly monstrous head to a degree that in many schools chronic absenteeism as well as disengagement is a regular agenda topic at administrator meetings.

Let’s hope this school year is different except that…

Around the world, student attendance as well as engagement is a regular discussion amongst teachers, administrators, and educational leadership. Winthrop et al. (2025) state: "One of the biggest challenges schools across the United States at the start of 2025 is the persistently high levels of student chronic absenteeism. Having skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest data shows it remains almost double pre-pandemic levels, with approximately one in four students missing more than ten percent of school days each year." Similarly, in Canada a CBC news investigation report found that student absenteeism is up as much as 10% across the country with some districts particularly in the Maritimes reporting up to 70% rate increases (Whitley, 2024). Of course, educators already know the impacts of chronic absenteeism in terms of future development for youth along with impacts on mental health. 

Student Disengagement, Digital Overload in the Information Age, and More…

Times are different and normalized behaviours like staying up “way too late online” the night before, powering up in the day with an energy drink starter, and not considering breakfast until the end of the school day have become regular routines for many youth who are now facing an affordability crisis wondering what the point is with school since they will never afford a house anyways?

Yes, we can say “Back in the day we…” but wagging fingers and lectures are tuned out by the digital noise already swirling in young minds.

Conversations now have to be scaffolded from a toolbox of skills to show students how to manage technology with dopamine detoxes, good dopamine menus, turning off notifications, and more healthy habits. Also, students need skills for managing online landscapes filled with rage baiting, cancel culture, haul culture, and more.

Students have to develop eagle vision by managing two sight lines of navigating the distractions of the technological world now while also building for their futures which involves soft skills like goal setting, resiliency, career planning, healthy coping skills for stress, relationship boundaries, communication and more.

Yes, our young people will need eagle vision to hold their own during a digital age revolution while also growing in skills to be able to manage an increasing living wage now as well as job uncertainty of the future.

For many that tall order will make them want to go home with a headache as the unhelpful house guest anxiety sets up residence within themselves.

A Solution:

Young people need resources and skills for 3 m’s -managing technology, mitigating mental health challenges, and mastering future goal-setting.

Fortunately, with the new release of the program “Twenty”, (based on 20 skills for healthy youth), educators can weave through over 70 modules of engaging videos and materials with lesson plans, quizzes, as well as reflection exercises all pre-loaded on to a learning management system that can be projected in class or utilized with individual student account keys for students grades 5 to 12.

Access your free teacher copy today at https://www.softskillstrainingcenter.com

About The Writer:

Catherine Patterson-Sterling, PhD, RCC is an educator of 20+ years with diverse experience in all levels of elementary, high school, and post secondary education as a teacher, counsellor, and clinical supervisor. With extensive experience in research and counselling, she understands the impact as well as sources of disengagement as well as chronic absenteeism on learners at all levels. She is also the creator of this new innovative program “Twenty” sponsored by Soft Skills Training Center and Patterson-Sterling Consulting and Counselling Services. Spread the word.... Twenty is here!