Visual message reinforcement technology is essential to help schools communicate important information to students, who are bombarded with a multitude of messages a day.
Kids, tweens, and teens today are like no generation before them; they've only ever known the world in the digital age. The majority of students today feature older Gen Zers (people born between 1995 and 2015) and younger Gen Alpha students (people born between 2010 and 2024). The school-aged members of these groups have been early tech adopters and have seen technology race ahead at speeds never seen. They’re inundated with information everywhere they look, seek on-demand, short-form content and expect nonstop connectivity to social media wherever they go.
The Pew Research Center states 95% of U.S. teens have access to a smartphone, and 96% say they use the internet every day. And according to a nationwide survey by Common Sense, 20% of participants received over 500 smartphone notifications per day, and TikTok usage were likely to spend upward of seven hours per day on the app. Additionally, among teens those surveyed by Pew, 46% say they are constantly online.
With so much engagement on digital channels, students are inundated with a range of diverse, and sometimes contradictory or misleading, messages on a daily basis. So, when news develops on their school's campus — whether it's related to a change in the regular schedule, or an update during an emergency situation — communications need to stand out from the digital clutter to deliver a unified message.
Visual communication technology, like Primex Notify® InfoBoard™ Displays, provide an additional layer of messaging to ensure alerts and notifications reach students, educators and staff. Here are five reasons school administrators should consider these solutions for their protocols:
1. Accessibility
In schools, announcements are traditionally made via overhead public address (PA) systems, but these don't always effectively reach students during loud passing periods or lunch, and they don't serve those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Visual notifications ensure verbal messages made over PA systems or with megaphones and microphones are received in real time, and they ensure all students are included in every communication.
2. Emergency Preparedness
Communicating information quickly in emergencies is critical, which is why message boards like Primex Notify InfoBoard Displays should be integrated into schools' protocols. Whether an emergency occurs during a passing period, while class is in session or before or after school hours, visual messages on screens can capture the attention of students, faculty and staff. In addition, visual communications can reinforce messages when school members are focused on their smartphones (either listening to music or watching videos), busy with after-school activities or in a chaotic situation that requires quick action be taken. Additionally, the color-coding features can cue the level of importance a message carries.
3. News and Announcements
A school email or post on the school intranet may go ignored or unopened, but repeated communications on visual Primex Notify InfoBoard Displays about school events and updates can increase the likelihood of students absorbing important, pertinent messages. Visual messaging can reiterate communications such as:
- Weekly school happenings including spirit days, dances, and upcoming activities
- Sporting events including game or race days and results
- School closures
- Testing reminders such as finals, AP, ACT, and SAT
4. Message Reinforcement
The amount of content reaching school-aged people is the highest it has ever been. The average American is bombarded with anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements every day, and across the world, 376.4 billion emails are sent every day. Layer in the other content school-aged people are consuming on TV, their phones, and computers, it's easy to understand how they may accidentally tune out important messages. Primex Notify InfoBoard Displays can help cut through the clutter and reinforce important messages by going outside traditional PA, computer, or smartphone means.
5. Cell Phone Bans
As recently as 2025, many schools across the country implemented cell phone bans, barring students from using their smartphones during instructional time. These bans aim to reduce distractions, lessen cyberbullying, and increase learning retention. With cell phones out of students’ pockets, however, safety communication could be restricted — but not when Primex Notify InfoBoard Displays are prominent throughout schools. The visual message boards reliably deliver information even when cell phones are not in use.
As the number of messages and distractions grow for students, attention-commanding and effective methods of communication are necessary to break through and reach them with important messages.
To learn more about how Primex Notify InfoBoard Displays can help your school reinforce important announcements and messages, contact us today.
This blog was originally written in May 2020, but updated in March 2026 with relevant content.
