Cell phones in class, pretty much a professor’s biggest pet peeve- or are they? Some professors have very strict policies set up that are meant to scare students from using cell phones in class — Policies like getting a zero for class participation or even being asked to leave. But it’s been my experience here at Longwood that some professors just try to embarrass the students who do use cell phones in class.
On the other hand, some professors just do not care. A friend of mine told me that her psychology professor could care less. I guess for professors like that, it’s just about the student getting the grade they deserve even if that means texting while the professor is speaking.
Everyone probably remembers high school and the strict rules that were set in place as we were being molded into young adults who would be ready for college and the freedom that came with it. I know that when I was in high school, cell phones were like the taboo of class. If they went off you lost your cell phone for the entire year — I kid you not. Maybe it is that kind of suppression that so many students had for four years that makes our brains think we cannot live without our cell phones for more than 90 minutes.
I mean, seriously, why is it that so many 20-somethings can’t seem to live without texting, tweeting, instagramming, Facebooking or whatever else it is they do in class? We are living in a technology age, everyone knows that, but isn’t this whole problem getting out of control?
This is a huge problem especially because we all spend so much money on tuition to be here and get a degree, so isn’t it just a waste of precious time and money if you spend an entire lecture on your phone?
Not only that, but it is just plain rude. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am talking to someone and they are constantly looking at their phone. Now, I know I have most definitely done that before, but every time I’ve felt like I’ve committed some kind of sin.
I know a lot of my professors really loathe cell phones, mainly because of how incredibly rude it is and how it wastes everyone’s time. Part of me cannot help but wonder if there is just a facet in our community that is just downright rude. Not only does this happen from peer to peer, but it’s increasingly going on in classes and during meetings, conferences and events.
If you are sitting in a class and someone near you is constantly texting, not only is it distracting, but it is also a huge disruptive habit to the whole class. I will never forget a story my good friend Dexter told about his very first class at Longwood. He walked into a political science class, sat down and his phone immediately went off — right in the middle of the professor talking about his zero tolerance cell phone policy. The way Dexter described the professor’s face was so incredible. He told me that the professor was so mad he probably
