Abstract
In a society where social interaction happens constantly, instantly, and simultaneously through regularly evolving forms of digital communication, social learning theory must also be able to reflect these features in an explanation of the collaborative learning process. In this paper, I will be examining the role and impact of digital interaction on our understanding of social learning theory, namely theories proposed by Bandura, Vygotsky, and Rotter. More specifically, the impact of digital interaction on our cognitive capacity for attention division, multitasking, and task-switching, as well as the phenomenological effects of these capabilities on our synchronous perception of the world. I will then entertain possible complications generated by these digitized processes, including attention engineering, excessive task-switching costs, illusory conjunctions, and significant processing lag. Lastly, I will expand upon the social learning theories previously presented in order to better reflect and better account for the increasing popularity of collaborative learning through digital interaction.