Image courtesy infinigeek.com
What is funny about my generation is that we grew up in an age where cell phones were still outnumbered by landlines, yet now you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone checking their device. But despite the obvious drawbacks when it comes to actual human interaction, smart phones do serve awfully helpful purposes. Apps of every sort have popped up the last couple of years, and many of them prove very useful in classroom settings. Email can be checked in an instant, classes can be found via a handy mobile map, polls can be conducted, study groups can function without being in the same place, and you can even check what’s for dinner 3 days away! This leads me to a thought: even though some adults do it, could a college student in this day and age actually function without access to a smart phone?
A recent USA Today study showed that over half of college students cannot imagine life without a smartphone. I do believe it is actually possible, as humans have lived without smartphones for thousands of years after all, but I also think it wou
ld be a lot harder to manage, and with college coursework hard enough as it, I can’t imagine what centennial would take this option willingly. Sure, apps like Snapchat and Instagram wouldn’t be able to be used, but those are used almost universally for extracurriculars, and aren’t necessary for academics. Most other uses for the smartphone are found on a laptop: word processing, slide show presentation, the gradebook, and email are all found on mobile computers. Likewise, pen and paper can be used for notes and the student would be able to avoid the urge to check their phones during working hours, something studies show is commonplace. But all these extra items to check and carry with us would mean that time would most likely be used less effectively, and could put pressure on the student to rush through assignment they normally wouldn’t have to.
I know that smartphones could make distractions but I think that students cannot live without cellphones because friends or parents who live apart will need to contact us. And without cell phones, communication will be hard to complete.
I know that smartphones could make distractions but I think that students cannot live without cellphones because friends or parents who live apart will need to contact us. And without cell phones, communication will be hard to complete.
This topic makes a lot of sense. In my opinion, I think modern students could not live without cell phones, because cell phone keeps people from communicating with each other, and sometimes when other people have emergencies to find you, they would easy to reach you by cell phones. And cell phone is a easy way for students to check their school mailbox, and easy for students to manage the time.
I honestly wish that I could go even a day without using my iphone. The sad truth is that I am so emotionally attached to the thing that when I don’t have it I feel like something is wrong. I am obsessed with all things social media. It’s a big problem! This past year when the video “Look Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY came out, it really stuck me hard. I realized I needed to stop using my iphone so much. This summer I only let myself use my phone, for anything other than to call or text, one hour a day. I helped me a lot to get ready for college. I know that if I hadn’t changed my habits, I would be screwed for school.
I honestly wish that I could go even a day without using my iphone. The sad truth is that I am so emotionally attached to the thing that when I don’t have it I feel like something is wrong. I am obsessed with all things social media. It’s a big problem! This past year when the video “Look Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY came out, it really stuck me hard. I realized I needed to stop using my iphone so much. This summer I only let myself use my phone, for anything other than to call or text, one hour a day. I helped me a lot to get ready for college. I know that if I hadn’t changed my habits, I would be screwed for school.
I honestly wish that I could go even a day without using my iphone. The sad truth is that I am so emotionally attached to the thing that when I don’t have it I feel like something is wrong. I am obsessed with all things social media. It’s a big problem! This past year when the video “Look Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY came out, it really stuck me hard. I realized I needed to stop using my iphone so much. This summer I only let myself use my phone, for anything other than to call or text, one hour a day. I helped me a lot to get ready for college. I know that if I hadn’t changed my habits, I would be screwed for school.
I enjoyed reading this blog post because it raises an interesting debate. Is our society too dependent on technology? Given the answer is yes, is that a result of technological innovation and advances, or a lazy society? Most college students our age are reliant on their cell phones for basic needs such as alarm clocks, notes, calendars, and most importantly to stay in touch with their friends and family Our society is now a place where people are constantly checking and attending to their cellphones. While such habbits seem negatively conotated, I don’t think thats always the case. Being a transfer student, i needed to figure out the Penn State campus relatively quickly. Without my iphone, figuring out the geography of the campus and off-campus area would’ve been extremely difficult. Emailing professors and staying in touch with class schedules and events, also would’ve proved difficult. While i believe many adolescents in our society have developed technological addictions, I believe we must recognize how far we have come, with innovation. The fact that you can use an app for just about anything is incredible. Our society must continue to advance innovatively, while using such technological creations in moderation.
I don’t think college students could live without their phone. In this day in age our generation grew up with phones, its our second nature to always have it on. I have my phone on me 24/7 and sometimes I feel incomplete when I don’t have it on me. I think that it is a major distraction but at the same time its the only way to communicate with people. Especially because we are in college some people travel 1,000s of miles to come here so of course they would need a phone to get in contact with friends and family. In terms of academics a phone is not necessary there are all other resources besides a phone that could help. But when it comes to getting contact with people especially during emergencies its best to have a phone. So no college students can’t live without their phone.
This topic is very relatable for many people, and especially for college students. As you mentioned in your post, smart phones make it fast and easy to check email, look up the dining commons hours, or schedule classes no matter where you are on campus. This being said, maybe it’s not a good thing that we’re so glued to our phones. This article explains how recent studies show that people may be more attached to their phones than they think, and some “researchers suggested that smartphones should carry a health warning so that users know they are potentially addictive” (Booth). Even though smart phones are helpful in many aspects of life, it’s also important to take time to unplug.
Unfortunately, I have had to live out this horror story the past week. I broke my phone as a result of a loss in Madden and it was the most tragic day of my life. I use my phone for everything. Whether it is staying up to date on my favorite sports teams, checking my email, or doing my homework, my phone is always involved. How am I supposed to know where my friend is after class so I can meet him for lunch? This is the kind of problem that has been ruining my life the past couple days. Thankfully my mom has sent me my old iPhone so my life can go back to normal soon. I do not see how one operates their daily life without a smart phone.
I know that I use my cell phone entirely too much. I use it when I’m walking around campus alone, or when I should be doing homework, or even when there’s a lull in the lecture in class. However, I am of the belief that students most certainly can function without a smartphone. From personal experience, I was never allowed to have my cell phone out in school. I went to a pretty strict Catholic school, and if your phone was so much heard vibrating, you would get it taken from you overnight and you would have to pay $10 to get it back. Was that excessive and a pain in the butt? Yes. But honestly, I was always focused in class because there wasn’t much else to focus on. Having a smart phone is a wonderful luxury, but I do not think that we cannot function without them.
Im very glad you made this blog post! There are so many articles and studies out there about the harms of new technology in phones (i know i wrote a blog post about it about an hour ago). But what people like to ignore is the help that these devices can give. Being able to communicate through comment boards during class, or at night when you have a question for someone who lives on the other side of campus is something that we could not even think about doing in such a efficient manor with these phones.