Pointlife
If paying attention in class was not hard enough, now cell phones serve as an extra deterrent to the student and other students in their surrounding area within the classroom on a reoccurring basis.
In-class cell phone use is on the rise amongst students
The Pointer
nmeye177@uwsp.edu
It happens all the time: Class is slowly meandering down when suddenly, out from under the voice at the front of the room, a spastic marimba melody comes eddying out of someone’s back pack. One lonely face in the room, suddenly stricken with panic, looks frantically through many pockets to turn off the device.
Some of us aren’t so bashful about our cell phone use.
Sitting in class it’s hard not to notice those of us who can’t put down our cell phones. There’s the texting under the desktop technique, which is usually given away by the odd tilting of the head, which makes it look like the person has discovered something especially interesting about their leg.
No matter what the technique, it’s fairly obvious that people don’t want to put down their cell phones, let alone turn them off. But what is proper and what isn’t when it comes to our ultimate best friend, the cell phone? When is it time to put it down?
In today’s fast technological world, cell phones seem to make everything easier. Tasks we once would have needed multiple large devices for we can now fit in the palm of our hands. We can stay connected with everyone we know with the touch of a few buttons and it seems there is never a good time to shut the cell phone off or put it down.
“I think we’ve become such an in-touch society, and the days from going two or three weeks without coming in contact with family or friends are gone,” said media studies professor Mark Tolstedt.
But what is so pressing that it can’t wait until after the lecture on religious practices of the circumpolar north? Do we really need to know what every friend is doing every minute of the day? Or is the boredom of class simply too much?
“I think it’s because people are bored and they don’t find class interesting and don’t want to take notes,” said student Sarah Mankovecky.
Some students go to difficult and, many times, creative lengths to text in class. There’s the hiding it behind the backpack trick or the blatant “I don’t care if you see me texting on top of the desk” routine.
“Usually I just do it under my desk,” said Mankovecky. “I’ve seen people put it up their sleeve or hold it to the side and not look at it.”
Many professors, if not most, have some sort of policy now on cell phone usage in class, policies that many students choose to ignore for one reason or another. It’s not as if professors don’t notice.
But how do you stop the pulsing of fingers in class without taking phones away at the door?
“I don’t allow them, simply put, especially at exams. If I see someone pulling out a cell phone I will ask them to leave the room and then they’ll have to come and talk about how they will do the exam or whether they fail it,” said Tolstedt.
Professor Tolstedt also expressed that people using their cell phones in class is inevitable.
“Two of the classes I teach are large lecture-oriented classes and inevitably in both of them I will see students sort of hiding it with the arm as they’re working on the phone,” said Tolstedt.
It’s not just professors that feel there is a lack of etiquette when it comes to cell phone usage in class. Many students find it distracting when someone types away at their tiny keyboard.
“I think its obnoxious and rude, usually, but I’m also a nerd and just got texting like a month ago. When I see people do it, it’s like, you’re in class to learn, you pay for this,” said senior Amanda Brown.
Many students make the claim that they need their phone on in case of emergency. Most professors tend to understand that emergencies exist and that sometimes your phone needs to be on in class. It seems to be something that can easily be worked out.
“[I understand] if they come to me prior to class,” said Tolstedt. “I actually had a guy who said his wife is expecting and could he leave his cell phone on and I said absolutely. Something along those lines, I personally have no problems with that.”
There are no campus-wide regulations on cell phone usage yet, but with the way cell phones are being integrated into students’ everyday lives, it wouldn’t be surprising. But before we get to that point, think about it the next time you want to send a quick message to your friend to remind them you will be going tonight, because they may already know.
