A disconnected campus: How technology may be hurting student interaction

It seems like everyone today has a smart phone. For college students, especially, a world of snaps, likes, tweets and throwbacks is constant. Utah State University students are no exception.

“Technology is endemic to the day and age we live in,” said Devin Greener, a Utah State student. “I don’t think you can function in our society and not spend a vast majority of your time staring at a screen unless you make a concerted effort not to.”

Cell phones and the Internet open resources and connections to students like never before. Jennifer Grewe of the Department of Psychology said there is a lot more access to technology now, so of course it’s going to be integrated into every aspect of school.

“Technology can, and should, be something students use to their advantage; to connect to peers, form study groups and be involved with social groups on campus,” she said. “Social media and other technologies can be a great help to students if used correctly and in moderation.”

But many students are not using these technologies in moderation. Utah State undergraduate Kenzie Cooley said, “When I’m on campus, I feel like the only thing being heard is what’s coming from our headphones and the only thing being seen is what’s on our phone screens.”

Cooley is not unlike many other Aggies who are aware of their own daily, and perhaps excessive, use of technology.

“I’d like to think that my phone has no effect on my studies, but it does,” she said. “I get distracted from what I should be doing all the time by notifications on my phone.”

Grewe explained why students are so quick to check in with their devices throughout the day.

“There’s a term in psychology called reinforcement,” she said. “Every time you get a notification of someone ‘liking’ or commenting on your photo or post, it makes you feel good. It makes you more likely to check your phone more often.”

Greener gave another reason for ever-present cell phone use.

“I think people use their phones to avoid each other,” he said. “I definitely use my phone when people are campaigning on campus. I just put in my headphones and walk by so I don’t have to stop and talk to them.”

Cooley agreed that many students use phones to be antisocial.

“I think that we use our phones as a way to mask or shield ourselves from situations that are uncomfortable,” she said. “When we don’t know what to do with ourselves, it’s easy to just look at our phones.”

Although many students use social media to stay connected to their peers and stay in the know about campus activities, some say the student body’s tie to these artificial connections can sometimes restrict face-to-face connectivity.

“It wasn’t too long ago that it was common to talk to a random stranger on the bus, but now everyone looks down, ‘liking’ photos of people they haven’t seen in five years when they could be getting to know the people right in front of them,” Cooley said.

While students are lending their eyes and time to social media and other connective technologies, they may be missing out on more important social interactions and meaningful connections.

—selinatramsey@aggiemail.usu.edu