Thanks To Technology, College Students Are Paying No Attention In Class

shutterstock_148662251__1383418705_142.196.156.251It’s amazing anyone is graduating from college these days. College was distracting enough before digital addiction was born. I can only imagine how impossible it is to concentrate now. A new study found students use digital devices an obscene amount during their college school day.

Overall, 35 percent of the students interviewed said they used digital devices for non-classroom purposes one to three times per day, another 27 percent did so four to 10 times per day, 16 percent did so 11 to 30 times per day and 15 percent did so more than 30 times a day.

Only 8 percent said they never used devices for non-classroom purposes while in class, the study found.

Nearly 86 percent of students said they were texting, 68 percent said they were checking email, 66 percent said they were using social networks, 38 percent said they were surfing the Internet and 8 percent said they were playing a game during class. McCoy said he was surprised to find that 79 percent of the students used their digital devices to check the time.

Are there no clocks in classrooms anymore? Also, I find it strange that it’s considered the worst thing ever to use a digital device in a movie theatre, but the same rules don’t apply in classrooms. Aren’t we even pretending that college students should be listening to instructors anymore?

I guess it’s really not that distracting to be on a device now that pretty much everyone uses their laptops to take notes these days. How is an instructor to know whether the feverish tapping of keys is a student enthusiastically transcribing every word, or a student emailing his sister about his date last night?

I completed my college education in four years. I’m relatively confident that would never happen today. It was hard enough getting through the day with the lack of sleep and once weekly hangover – I can’t imagine adding the ability to interact with friends and browse Haute Look to that. No way would I have this degree under my belt if the iPhone was invented in 1991. No matter – I have no idea where I put it anyway.

If there are any college students reading this – is it just totally okay to use your device during class, or is all of this distraction going on on the down-low? I’m intrigued.

(photo: luckybusiness/ Shutterstock)

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