The Screen Problem: A Cello Teacher's Take

Feb 6

We Have a Problem

It’s an obvious one. It shows up in all of our daily lives.

It’s the screen. Yes, including the one you’re reading this on, and the one I’m writing on. I’m aware of the irony.

Screens promise a lot. Connection. Information. Entertainment. Convenience.

They promise to make life easier, faster, better. And in some ways, they deliver. But the true cost is never in the marketing.

Dopamine on Demand

Every so often I run into a young former student around town. I jokingly ask how much of a certain show they’ve watched. The last time this happened, the preteen sheepishly told me they’d seen the entire series. Twice. Hundreds of episodes. That level of consumption is now possible for anyone with a screen and decent Wi-Fi.

The world I grew up in is long gone: dial-up internet, waiting a week for the next episode. What replaced waiting is dopamine on demand.

The apps, feeds, notifications, and autoplay features are engineered to keep attention locked in, delivering a steady stream of stimulation with almost no effort.

Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatry professor at Stanford, puts it bluntly: “The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine for a wired generation.”

What I See in the Studio

I see the effects every week. Many are tired. No, not from practicing too much, but from staying up late scrolling. I see them on their phones between rehearsals. Sometimes during rehearsals. I see students getting pinged on their smartwatches mid-lesson. The buzz of a notification pulls them out of the music, out of the moment.

They’re anxious. I understand. I experience it too. Unless I actively push back against it.

During adolescence, the neural systems governing impulse control, focus, and long-term planning continue to develop into the mid-20s.

Meanwhile, the technology they’re using is built by engineers whose job is to maximize engagement. It’s not a fair fight.

Why This Matters for Cello

Here’s the issue: the cello cannot compete with a screen.

Learning an instrument is slow. Progress happens over months and years, not minutes, days, or even weeks. A passage might need twenty repetitions before it begins to feel natural. That kind of work requires a brain that can tolerate delay, sustain focus, and find satisfaction in gradual improvement.

Screens train the opposite. They train brains to expect constant novelty and instant feedback. When stimulation is always available, the kind of waiting required for real skill-building starts to feel intolerable.

The same neurological systems that make screens compelling are the ones we rely on for persistence and motivation. When those systems are constantly fed easy rewards, the harder rewards (like mastering an instrument) lose their appeal.

I see this clearly in lessons. Students who can stay with difficulty, who don’t flee slow progress or frustration, improve steadily and often rapidly. Students who need constant stimulation struggle to build anything that takes time.

The cello asks for patience.

Screens teach impatience.

A Challenge

I’m not here to tell you to throw your phone off Aspen Mountain.

Technology isn’t going away. It obviously has real uses for everyone. But it was meant to be a tool. Somewhere along the way, it became something else.

Here are a few things that have helped in my own life and in the studio. You don’t need to do all of them. Try one or two. See what works.

Delete one app and see if you miss it. If it’s games, short-form videos, or social media, you probably won’t.
Create phone-free zones. Dinner. Practice time. Family conversation. Protect them deliberately.
Enforce the hour before bed. Screens before sleep delay rest and undermine focus the next day. This matters more than most people realize.
No phones in bedrooms. For kids, this is worth being firm about. For adults, it’s worth reconsidering.
Use airplane mode liberally. I call it “Practice Mode.” When the phone can’t interrupt, the mind can settle.
Wait as long as possible before handing over a screen. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends minimal screen time before 18 months. The Child Mind Institute suggests waiting until at least eighth grade for a smartphone or other screen. Some even recommend later.

Like learning cello, perfection isn’t the point. Progress is.

Final Thought

What we allow becomes what we practice. What we practice becomes how we think.

One builds persistence. The other builds restlessness.

There’s a third option, too. One that screens have nearly eliminated. It starts with letting your child have nothing to do.