Cellular Phone Etiquette Among College Students
Cell phones are as ubiquitous on college campuses as textbooks in the 21st century. Students who feel the need to be continuously connected should consider the importance of cell phone etiquette--when and where cell phone use is appropriate, and how cell phone use can foster or hamper relationships.
Other People Are Reading
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In the Classroom
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If there's one area on a college campus where the consensus agrees that using a cell phone is a no-no, it's in the classroom.
"We are moving toward a common etiquette for cell phone use in certain settings, but you'd be surprised how often we still get interrupted by it during class," says Scott Campbell, a professor at the University of Michigan who has studied cell phone use on campus. "Depending on what's going on at the time, it can be very distracting, not to mention rude."
Loud ringtones and even whispered phone conversations are unwelcome in the classroom setting. Texting may seem like a quieter alternative, but even texting can become a distraction for both professors and other students.
In the Library
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Academic libraries are often the last bastion of peace and quiet on a college campus--until someone's unattended phone starts ringing.
Cell phones are not banned in most college libraries, but other students and librarians alike discourage their use in the stacks and study areas.
"Be considerate of your colleagues who are trying to concentrate on a 415-page book that they must summarize by the next day," says Regent University Reference Librarian Karen Robinson. "Talking is distracting, and so is a ringing phone--whether it is on your person or left behind on a study table."
If you simply must use your cell phone at the library, do so in the lobby or an empty study room. Text instead of calling, and put your phone on vibrate.
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In the Dorm
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The dorm room is home sweet home for many students, but that doesn't mean that cell phone use should be unchecked--especially when roommates are around.
If your roommate(s) is studying, take that long, drawn-out cellphone conversation to the hall or another area of the dorm. And if your roommate has an 8 a.m. class, keep in mind that one person's 3 a.m. designated driver call is another person's unwanted wake-up call.
Effects
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Some worry that cell phones on college campuses are doing more than just interrupting classes and irritating professors and students: They are hampering the development of social skills.
Author Karen L. Coburn, interviewed by the "Washington University Record", is concerned that cell phones are making it more difficult for college students to separate from their parents. "Students are walking around campus talking to their parents. 'Hey, Mom. Just got out of class. I'm bored. I just called to say, 'Hi.' That can be positive, but it can also be a detriment to fostering independence."
Considerations
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While cell phones may seem to be a necessary technology for college students, users should remember that their need to be connected should not interfere with others' learning experience, or their own social experience. Turning the cell phone off when in the classroom or library is a must, but not sacrificing face-to-face relationships to phone calls is a good idea as well.
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References
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- Photo Credit cell phone image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com
