Phones Distract Green River College Students
By: Jessi Zamorano-Sausedo
Staff Writer
Are cellphones considered a distraction or a helpful tool for college students?
The opinions people have on phones being a distraction to college students are split with half for and against. Some say it helps them with their studies while others admit to not being able to control themselves from getting distracted.
Some students went ahead and explained thoroughly why they think that phones are indeed a distraction to their studies.
“I think that phones are treated like an addiction because you’re wondering what’s going on with your personal social media, which can be a huge distraction for your mind and makes it hard to focus,” said Israel Marcial, a first-quarter student at Green River College.
Many of the college students who agreed with that sentiment said they had a hard time controlling the urges to check and be on their phone all the time.
While trying to get work done, it would become very difficult with your phone right there at an arm’s length. Even if they aren’t getting any notifications with their phones on silent and flipped with the screen pointed down it can be difficult for students to stay focused.
There are many reasons why students think phones are a huge distraction for them. For instance all the social media apps that people have downloaded could lure them away from their work.
However, there are also college students who have the opposite opinion on the issue. Many saying how phones are more of a helpful tool for them to use. Some understand why phones can be a distraction to others, but they explained how it’s helpful to them.
“Phones are not a distraction,” said Joseph Fagan a 19-year-old college student at Green River College.The problem is not the phone, yet how people are taught how to use and perceive technology. Anything can be a distraction if your mind chooses it to be.”
For some college students, their phone is something helpful for them to get work done. As Fagan said, “It’s not the phone but how people use it and the main thing college students will use their phones for is to play music.”
When studying or simply just getting homework done, some can’t work in a quiet environment. Others also say that music motivates them to get work done and helps them focus better.
Furthermore, students who did find it to be helpful for them all came to the same conclusion. That it depends on how you control yourself when it comes to your phone. If you are able to not let your curiosity get the best of you, then your phone won’t take over your ability to get things done. If you can’t, then it could lead to chaos in a student’s life.
Students who do agree that phones are seen as a distraction can still understand the opinions of others who think that phones could be helpful for them.
They admit that it is all part of personal self-control and the ability to not let your mind wander off, stating that this can be quite difficult for them to do.
Distractions can be very damaging. Phones are one of the bigger ones in today’s modern society.
Overall many students have similar ideas that phones distracting to them depending on someone’s own self-control but agree that phones can be taken advantage of for both multitasking and studies. Both have their own pros and cons, when it comes to being used as a tool.
You need to make decisions when it comes to your own cellphone usage and time mangement.
In our generation technology is something that revolves around each one of us. That’s what happens when we’re born into a tech world.
With info and play at our fingertips it is not hard to imagine the struggle between the two. But students should be weary of the consequences of distraction.
