“How many of you play sport? How many of you game on computers? Would you be surprised if I told you the amount of time you spend gaming impacts your ability to play sport – and even lowers your IQ?”
Dr Mark Williams posed this challenge to the Year 7 cohort as he began his seminar on the brain, learning and the hidden costs of excessive screen time.
Drawing on decades of neuroscience research, Dr Williams explained that while humans are “not the fastest, not the strongest and don’t have the most complicated brain”, we became the dominant species because of our ability to connect, collaborate and share knowledge. “Our brains are wired to help each other – but that doesn’t happen when you’re on a device,” he stated simply.
Key to his message was the reality that our brains have not evolved to process online experiences the same way we process real-world ones. “Information from a screen doesn’t translate to the real world … online is two-dimensional, and our brains evolved for a three-dimensional environment,” he explained.
Dr Williams warned that over-reliance on devices affects attention span, working memory and even the physical development of the brain. He linked early and prolonged device use to inattention, reduced spatial awareness and poorer problem-solving ability.
Sleep, he emphasised, is essential for learning and performance: “If you want to be a genius, sleep more. If you want to be amazing at sport, sleep more.” He explained how the brain rehearses skills and processes social situations during deep and REM sleep – but only when those skills are learned in real life. Dr Williams closed with a reminder: “Our brains are incredible, but they need the right input. Choose real-world experiences – because that’s what your brain was built for.”
Tips for students
- Excessive device use reduces focus, memory capacity and even athletic performance.
- Real-world interaction is critical for developing thinking, empathy and problem-solving.
- Sleep (9–10 hours per night) is vital for both academic and sporting improvement.
- Attention is limited – focus on one task at a time for better learning outcomes.
- Writing notes by hand improves recall far more than typing.
- The last thing studied before sleep is remembered most strongly.
Tips for parents
- Prioritise healthy sleep routines.
- Encourage in-person social interaction and group activities.
- Support device limits, especially before bed.
- Promote handwritten note-taking where possible.
- Model focused, single-task work habits.
