Douglas Rushkoff – Digital Nation – premieres Tuesday on PBS 9pm

Douglas Rushkoff’s Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier premiers tonight on PBS Frontline at 9 PM ET. The new program “explores the use of technology at home, school, work, and in the military, examining the pros and cons of multitasking, immersion in virtual worlds and even remote warfare.”

As part of its examination of whether or not multitasking may actually be diminishing students’ mental abilities, It includes a visit to a middle school in The Bronx, one where a new principal provided all students with laptops. The school, which was suffering from frequent fights, gang activity, and only 9 percent of students meeting state standards in math, now boasts 90% attendance, a 30% improvement in reading scores, and an almost 40% improvement in math scores.