Nine-in-ten college students use a laptop, notebook or chromebook computer every week in order to do their schoolwork. It has become a necessity. With online textbooks, quizzes, class websites and email communication, there really isn’t a way around it. However, it comes with an added responsibility. Students can’t continue to hinder technology capabilities by frequently using it as a distraction. We must instead have the self-control to use technology for entertainment when entertainment is necessary and as a resource for knowledge when we are in class, studying or completing assignments.
Technology, it seems, is a blessing and a curse to students. While it allows for a much higher concentration of information, resources and tools to be available to us, technology piles on the pressure to simultaneously complete assignments, communicate with peers and professors, and manage their overloaded social, academic and work schedules. “ It simultaneously reduces and adds stress,” says MacKenzie Mantsch, a sophomore business major from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Schoolwork is only one of the constant technological tasks on the minds of students every day.
“I have to remember to post on Canvas when assignments are due or do my online Italian homework every day. I can’t just bring my laptop to class and have that be it,” explains Kenna Keller, a sophomore from Eagle, Colorado majoring in strategic communications.
The “fear of missing out” we tend to experience isn’t just related to social events. The responsibility to maintain constant communication with other aspects, namely school and work, forces students to keep up at all times, for better or worse.
The temptation of distraction is just as problematic. According to a study done by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2013, more than 80 percent of students said their use of digital devices interfered with learning. Even at a small school like DU, walk into a lecture hall and you’ll see almost every student with a laptop open, and many aren’t using it for course-related work. In the library, students everywhere are distracted by the technology they brought with them for use in their studies. Ask any given student where their phone is and chances are it’s with them at all times.
Despite all of the negativity surrounding distracted millennials in a technological era, it is unrealistic to backtrack from the progress made possible with technology. One of the most influential schools on campus, the Daniels College of Business, recognizes that to thrive in the business world you must be trained and capable to fully operate programs such as Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint, as well as field-specific program necessities. Certifications in these vital skills are required to simply be admitted into the school during secondary admissions.
Chris Dronen, a sophomore business major from Wilmette, Illinois explains that some use of technology is required and necessary for all of his classes. “My writing class is blog-oriented, so I read, write and edit blogs as assignments for this class. In my business INFO 1010 class, I use Excel for labs, class, assignments and tests. My other classes require me to complete online quizzes. In the business world it’s essential to be able to access email, Excel and the internet to conduct research. It makes things more efficient.”
It’s obvious that we need technology to thrive in the modern world, and many positive aspects arise from students being “plugged in.” We need to be cognizant of time management, effective multi-tasking and staying focused. Students need to practice self control and not spend class time on Facebook. We can’t use technology as a crutch to procrastinate, cheat or blow off responsibilities. We need to use technology to enhance our knowledge by being better multi-taskers, learners, and informers.
