College Students Dependency on Cell Phones

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College Students Dependency on Cell Phones

While walking to and from class on campus it is almost impossible to get to your destination with out seeing a fellow class mate using a cell phone in some way. Whether it is checking an email, texting, or calling a friend to engage in some sort of conversation usually consisting of very little substance. It is painfully obvious that college students have become so dependent on these portable devices that they could not carry out their day with them.

The cell phone has come along way since its creation, not only are you able to contact anyone at any time, but now many cell phones operate much like personal computers with various applications. It is almost impossible to meet some one these days who does not own a cell phone; even young children have cell phones for emergencies. There is no doubt that cell phones as well as their many applications have come in handy for simply saving time, as well as possibly saving lives in extraordinary circumstances. Although cell phones have improved many facets of our daily lives, there are many cell phone users who simply can not carry out their day with out these devices. Most notably the typical college student, cell phones can be used constructively to send important emails to teachers, or to keep a schedule of your assignments. More often they are used as a form of amusement or distraction from daily work and activities. Walk into a typical class room setting and you will no doubt catch a student holding a cell phone under their desk or behind purse engaging in a text conversation with a friend.

In an experiment carried out by the University of North Texas it became apparent that many students become visibly anxious when this technology as well as constant contact with their social network is taken away. A group of ten students took part in an interview as well as observation of 18 to 24 year old students at UNT, as well as southern Methodist University, Texas Christian university, Texas women’s university, and university of Texas. The first and most obvious observation in this experiment was that cell phones were constantly carried as well as used by those taking part in this study. Carrying a cell phone was as common as carrying a set of keys, and when these devices were forgotten in dorms the subjects became anxious.