Across the country, many schools are implementing policies that ban cell phones in the classroom in an effort to reduce distractions and improve learning.(1) This approach is driven by research, which we fully support. However, this step alone will not automatically equate to improved learning and improved attentional focus. New learning can only take place when someone’s nervous system is calm. If a student is anxious, overwhelmed, distracted, or triggered, new learning will not take place.
A Common-Sense Approach to Supporting Students
Many students rely on their phones and feel anxious without them. For those students, having a tool that helps calm their nervous system can improve focus and learning.
When students are calm, they can concentrate better, which helps schools create a better learning environment. The challenge has been finding a tool students can use on their own to regulate their emotions. Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is proven to calm the fight-or-flight response. Bi-Tapp tappers provide BLS automatically, allowing students to focus on their work. Stress makes it harder to learn, but with tappers, students can reduce their anxiety, stress, or overwhelm anytime, helping them return to a calm and focused state. Once they see how simple and effective Bi-Tapp is for reducing anxiety, students often ask to use it regularly because they know it helps them feel better.
Students can personalize their tapping experience through the Bi-Tapp app by adjusting the speed and intensity to what calms them best. They can wear the tappers on their wrists, hide them in their pockets, or slip them into their socks. This gives them access to a helpful resource while staying engaged in class.
Why aren’t traditional coping skills enough?
While coping skills are valuable, they often fall short when anxiety is high. When someone is extremely anxious or distressed, the brain’s ability to think clearly is reduced. If the fight-or-flight system stays active, it’s hard to remember techniques like deep breathing. At lower levels of stress, coping skills can help bring someone back to a calm state. But during intense anxiety, it’s much harder to access those tools.
Bi-Tapp steps in to automatically lower stress and anxiety. Once a person feels calmer, they can then use the coping skills they’ve learned more effectively.
Bi-Tapp Creates a Supportive Learning Environment
Banning cell phones in schools helps reduce distractions, which is crucial since studies show that attention spans on screens have dropped to around 47 seconds.(2) But beyond cutting distractions, students also need regulated nervous systems to thrive. That’s where Bi-Tapp comes in. From preschoolers to university students, Bi-Tapp tappers are helping people of all ages calm their nervous systems. When students are regulated, they can focus better and achieve greater academic success. Our goal is to help every student thrive, both in and out of the classroom.
- Haidt, Jonathan. The Anxious Generation. (2024) Penguin Press, New York.
- Mark, Gloria, PhD. Attention Span. A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. (2023) Hanover Square Press, Canada.
Additional Reading
Would you like to learn more about this topic? Here are some articles we suggest:
