Let me guess. You’re reading this article right now on your laptop. In the middle of class. Without a clue as to what’s happening around you.
This is definitely not uncommon in Stern. Unless a professor specifically says that using technology during class for outside purposes may result in a grade reduction, many people do not hesitate to use their technology quite freely, including Internet browsing on laptops and texting on cell phones.
Maybe the teacher is speaking right now and you are so disinterested, bored, or tired that you cannot bring yourself to pay attention. Maybe someone in the class asked a question that you knew wouldn’t be essential to understanding what you’ll be tested on, so you decided to take a break. Maybe you have an e-mail that you had been planning to send really quickly, and you just happened to notice an s-stud about the new issue of the Observer and found yourself browsing through all the articles. So now instead of sending that “superfast” e-mail, your mind has been pre-occupied for ten minutes.
And let me guess again. When you cue back into class after reading this, your mind won’t be able to focus on the class. Inevitably, you will find yourself on the Internet once again, sending e-mails, checking Facebook, and skimming posts on Buzzfeed, Gawker, or whatever kind of entertainment/news source you might choose.
I have had the same experience in class and know exactly how it feels. You feel that your time is being wasted by others, so you take matters into your own hands.
I completely agree. It’s just a matter of what you decide is worth spending your time on.
When I first started college, older siblings and friends told me not to let my college experience go to waste. Even people who said that they hated college admitted to regretting not taking advantage of that educational opportunities when they had the chance. I was recently thinking about these pieces of advice when all of a sudden, I was struck by a crazy thought. When I look back on my college experience, I want to think: “Wow, what an amazing opportunity I had to feel intellectually stimulated in academic areas that interested me.” Not: “Wow, what an amazing time I had surfing the Internet all day long.” It is not worth our time to waste the privilege we have been given (or earned) to go to college. We spend enough time using technology throughout the day. Setting aside Internet-free time when we are in the classroom will not create a void in our lives.
There is no way, however, that I could go cold turkey on Internet use during class simply after realizing that it might be interfering with my meaningful college experience. For one week of classes, I attempted to see what would happen if I simply did not use my laptop for anything other than note-taking or other class-related purposes. What I found was quite reassuring when it came to my hypothesis about the distraction of the Internet. My classes became more enjoyable and my participation started escalating, which teachers visibly noticed and appreciated. Even classes that had felt consistently “dry” became much more bearable. I had once thought that tuning out would help cure my boredom during class. But instead of g-chatting a friend and saying that I was bored out of my mind, I was able to focus on what the professor was saying and actually gain something from the class. I was happier and so were my professors.
That is another primary issue that contributes to the greater problem of using the Internet during class. It is one thing to say that you don’t care about enjoying your classes or making the teacher happy, but there should be a general awareness that when people are distracted and not participative, it hurts the class (and invariably the university) as a whole. Seeing classmates overtaken by their technology distracts others and encourages an atmosphere of Internet preoccupation. Classrooms filled with distracted students prevent potential discussions or questions on the material. It creates a feeling of boredom and lack of seriousness toward the subject and the professor. It is no wonder that last year the Stern College English department instituted a no-laptop policy in its classes, which are heavily discussion-based. However, even non-discussion-based lectures still require the engagement of the students. Professors will usually ask questions, as will students. It is unfair to professors to deny them the respect they deserve and the ability to ascertain if the way they teach is effective.
At the end of the day, it is our time and we decide how to spend it. I would like to encourage a basic awareness so we can create a more serious learning community. Hopefully, that will lead to happier professors, more satisfied students, and a more engaging and studious place of learning. If you, like me, have fallen prey to the addictive nature of Internet surfing during class, I challenge you to just try for one day to see what happens if you keep your browser closed. I promise that the rest of this issue of the Observer will be here after class—you can read it then.