Cellphone usage in class linked to lower GPAs

For a typical college student a cellphone is always within reach, but checking that cellphone too often and in class could have negative consequences.

According to NPR, students use their cellphones at least 8-10 hours a day and check them every 15-20 minutes. The article also said the excessive use of smartphones has been linked to poor sleep quality and lower GPAs among students. In a Talon survey of 145 students, more than 60 percent of students said they use their phone during class.

Tina Winn, professor of psychology and family studies, said cell phones tend to be more problematic than beneficial in the classroom.

“I think most people underestimate that it is a distraction that they have — that they think they can multitask, pay attention to their phone and pay attention to the teacher in class,” Winn said.

The psychology department at Oklahoma Christian University has a policy that does not allow the use of electronic devices in classrooms because of the distracting aspects of such devices, Winn said.

“It is distracting to both the students and to me because of course students put their cell phones out and I still have to take time away from teaching to maybe draw their attention to it,” Winn said. “Even if I’m not noticing it, then they’re having to put a lot of effort to try and hide it from me and so that’s a lot of energy on their part.”

Winn said when a student is on his or her phone in her class she will try to gain the attention of that student until the student puts the phone away.

“I usually stop and watch them for a period of time and it’s interesting how long it generally takes for them to realize that I have stopped and I’m not still talking,” Winn said.

Freshman Brendan Ostlund has Winn for psychology and has witnessed her stopping the class if she sees someone on the phone.

“I think it’s good because when I’m not seeing that person it doesn’t distract me, but it’s like part of her rule,” Ostlund said. ”I think it’s good that she enforces that.”

Freshman Nick Tate said he has not been in a class where using a mobile device could have consequences.

“It seems like most of my teachers don’t really care if someone’s on their phone, because most of the time it’s not disturbing the class, but if it is disturbing the class then they do interrupt it to tell them to get off their phone and stop what they’re doing,” Tate said.

Professor of Political Science Raymond Huston said he does not tolerate the use of cellphones in his class.

“They’re very distracting, mainly because of the core curriculum classes I’m teaching is not part of their major, so I ban all the use of cell phones in class because it’s not only distracting to me, it will be distracting to them and to the other students around them,” Huston said.

Sophomore Luke Francis said he has been in a class where Huston reacted to a student using a cellphone in his class.

“I was in Houston’s class and someone’s phone dinged and went off and so he stopped, paused and asked them to leave the classroom,” Francis said. “He’s very aggressive about his no phone policy, which is a good thing because it makes sure everyone pays attention in class.”

Huston said cellphone use in class stems from a lack of respect.

“Normally I kick them out and give them double the absences,” Huston said. “Because if they’re not going to show the respect to their peers and to me by turning electronic devices off, then they deserve no respect either.”

Huston said he made different students leave his class three times this semester.

“One of them I pointed out and asked them to leave,” Huston said. “The other two automatically knew. As soon as their cellphones started to ring, they looked at me, smiled, picked up their bag backs and walked out.”

Huston said the only exception to his no cellphone rule is if the student has a family emergency.

According to Huston, students think they are able to multitask, but if that is the case they should not be in college.

“You’re here to learn and to learn on one subject,” Huston said. “You’re not so important that you can not separate yourself from the rest of the world for a 45-minute lecture in class. If you want to learn you need to be engaged heavily in the material that’s going on at that moment.”

Winn said she will walk in her classroom and students will be on their phones. She will often tell them to put the devices away once class starts.

“The larger the class the more temptation it is for them to get their phones out and use them,” Winn said. “If a student has a phone out, it’s just too tempting and it’s the same for me when I’m sitting in church or whatever, to check an email or send a quick text, to read a text and that can definitely interfere with a person’s ability to pay attention to the class that’s going on.”

According to Francis, the size of the classroom will have an effect on the professor’s control of the classroom.

“It happens a lot in Bible classes, people will be on their phones or on their computers, not so much in other major specific classes,” Francis said.

Francis estimated he spends 20 minutes every hour on his cell phone, including in his classes.

“I think it’s because I’m so used to instant gratification, and getting knowledge and stuff,” Francis said. “Whenever class gets slow I’ll just pull my phone out to get the instant connection and information, fun stuff – that kind of thing.”

According to Francis, today’s generation was born with the technology provided and therefore is more prone to using it at all times.

“We feel the need to always be connected to other people and phones and computers and stuff like that, it’s the way to do that,” Francis said.

According to Huston students and faculty take advantage of the technology they are presented with.

“Even during our faculty meetings, we’re supposed to be having a meeting and I’ll see a lot of faculty playing on their phones, playing on their iPads, working on their computers instead of paying attention to whoever the speaker is and what the speaker is doing,” Huston said. “And if faculty members have a hard time doing something like this, it’s impossible for students.”