I recently saw a text message that one of my middle school students sent a friend: "First, he left me a voice mail, so I sent him a text on his cell, then he contacted me on Facebook, so I e-mailed him on my Blackberry. Two days later he sent me an instant message, but I wasn't online. How will I meet him?"

This hyperconnectedness that doesn't always lead to connection is a hallmark of what I call the digital brain. It's how many of our students live their lives. This lifestyle has benefits, but it also causes problems. If we want our students to have the life skills the 21st century will demand of them, we must be aware of those problems.