By Matt Butler
Associate Editor
With the rise of mobile technology and expansion of wireless data networks in recent years, it seems nearly everyone possesses a smart phone or similar device capable of tasks like social networking and sharing videos. As a result, we are becoming increasingly connected on a global scale never before seen in the history of humankind.
Yet the same technology that enhances our lives can impair it as well.
With the daily monotony of sitting through class in the mundane, unembellished rooms of Plassmann Hall, it’s easy to become bored and pull out a cell phone to help get through the tedious classes. However, distractions like cell phones do not just impair an ability to focus. It also decreases our overall cognitive functioning like storing and remembering information over time, according to a Sept. 23 CNN.com article.
In a 2011 survey conducted by Dr. Yun Xia, professor of communication at Rider University in New Jersey, approximately two-thirds of college students spend between 10 and 15 minutes of each class period texting. How do we learn vital course material if we are continuously distracted by the constant buzzing of cell phone notifications?
Teachers and professors should not have to compete with cell phones for students’ attention. Not only is texting detrimental to the learning process but, it is also disrespectful to our professors. While keeping up with friends may seem like a top priority in our lives, we have to tune out the rest of the world while in class.
Distracting technology creates a sense of “artificial noise” in the brain, and it makes it difficult to process and retain information. If a student is trying to learn new information but is interrupted by a separate task, such as texting, the part of the brain that is responsible for remembering has to be re-started, according to the same article.
Students should take several steps in order to stop distractions from mobile technology from impairing his or her ability to learn.
To start out, one solution is to learn how to moderate one’s own cell-phone usage during class time. While this doesn’t necessarily mean turning off the phone completely, it does help students learn to develop a set of priorities. Rather than keeping up with friends, students should only use mobile technology for emergency situations while in class because it can greatly benefit them. A student can devote his or her complete time to absorbing vital information from class sessions, rather than being constantly distracted.
Also, while working on assignments or studying for quizzes or tests, placing oneself in an environment that is advantageous to learning and recalling information can be highly beneficial. Whether it’s the quiet floor on the Friedsam Memorial Library or even a dorm room, don’t allow mobile devices to be detrimental to the scholarly cause. Although this takes a little bit of will power, the benefits of this tactic can be very rewarding when final grades are issued.
The modern and socially-connected world humanity operates in today presents an entire new set of obstacles which students must face in order to become successful. Increases in mobile and handheld technology can have negative effects on a learning environment, but students must learn how to moderate time on his or her devices to remain competitive in today’s society. While seemingly boring classes tempt us to look elsewhere for interest, we must remain focused and keep our priorities straight in our classes.
