Why New York City students are playing games in class

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Whether or not you want to admit it, technology dominates some many of our lives. Kids are glued to TV screens, video games and phones, but teachers say that is not always a bad thing.

Kahoot! is a game-based learning and trivia platform that's taking over classrooms across the country and around the world.

The company on Tuesday trained some New York City public school teachers, many of whom already use Kahoot! in their classrooms.

"It's engaging and it helps everyone pay attention all at the same time," middle school teacher Shelley Burt said. "They feel competitive because it's a social-type interactive review of things they have been learning."

The platform lets teachers create games on any subject matter and even send them as homework assignments. The students can compete against one another on their phones both in and out of the classroom. It also comes at no cost to them.

Kahoot! makes its money mostly from companies that pay for its services and from investors.

Joyce Safdiah, 15, said she'll take any excuse to be on her phone.

"I like it because I'm already like on my phone all the time so if I get to incorporate that into the classroom and maybe sneak in a few text messages here and there," Safdiah said. "It's a lot more fun than taking notes on a piece of paper for me."

More than half of K-12 students in the U.S. play at least one Kahoot! game each month during the academic year, according to the company's latest data.