There you are, a freshman in college, sitting in the middle of a crowded lecture hall. After ten minutes of monotony, you want to close your eyes and take a nap. Butbefore you lose yourself to sleep, your phone screen lights up and BAM! You are suddenly immersed in the wonderful world of technology.

     Yet, being immersed in technology comes at price, especially for college students who want to get the most out of their academic experience.

     Most students depend on technology throughout their four years in college. Whether they use technological devices to aid them in research assignments or analytical essays, students generally benefit from any resource that gives them access to the Internet. The same can be said of students at SHS.

     At the same time, students are constantly at risk of distraction – whether it’s Snapchatting friends or looking up random cat videos on YouTube.

     Based on a recent study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the average college student checks their cell phone 11 times a day during class. Almost 80 percent of students involved in the study believe that technology distracts them from learning.

     “Multitasking while doing academic work – which is very, very common among young people – leads to spottier, shallower, less flexible learning,” said brain expert Annie M. Paul.

     Interestingly enough, Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, expressed similar conclusions. Upon observing 263 college students in their normal study environments, Rosen was “appalled at how quickly they became distracted.” After fifteen minutes of studying, almost all of them became distracted by their phones, social media, and other forms of technology.

     Not only does technology undermine a student’s ability to learn, but it often hinders their social interactions. Rather than carrying on a face to face conversations, many students use their phones and computers as a limited means of communication, picking who they want to talk to at a certain time.

     “People tend to abuse [technology] emotionally,” said Mr. Raymond. Having attended Brown University last year, Mr. Raymond is well informed on the role of technology in college. According to him, technology distracts students from having direct conversations with the people around them.

     “College is supposed to prepare people for life, so students have to be aware of the distractions around them,” said sophomore Julia Blacker. Overall, it’s recognizing the dangers of technology that can help students lead a successful college (not to mention high school) career.