College Students & Technology: A Sign Of The Times

Over the past few months, there has been some interesting information released regarding students and how they use social media and technology in general. We all know that iPads have started to replace textbooks in some schools, but I’m talking about more that that, I’m talking about the way that technology is actually reshaping the lifestyles and study habits that college students have had for decades.

In this article entitled College Students Can’t Do Without Tech, the results of a study which researched the habits of college students in the UK revealed that 38% of students admitted they couldn’t go more than 10 minutes during the day without either checking their laptop, iPhone, social media site, e-reader or whatever technology gadget they have at that moment. Yep, you read that right, 10 minutes. It’s very different nowadays than when I attended university. I remember going to the library and using the card catalog to research for my assignments. I know, you youngsters (yep, I’m talking to you) have probably never heard of a card catalog. Consider yourself lucky; those things were a pain in the butt.

These days, college students have a completely different experience. With all the book reader apps, online grammar and study guides, and even student monthly bill trackers, it’s really all about the gadgets. We’ve touched on this a little bit before on Bit Rebels with articles about how social media and specifically Twitter can help students improve their grades.

Even the institution of College itself is moving to the internet. Technology is making it easier than ever to obtain an otherwise difficult degree. Even a Masters in Strategic Communications is achievable via the internet. Anyone who wants to discover more about this degree should, by all means, further explore the program. Regardless of what path you want to pursue, there is likely an online degree available, making it easier to realize your dreams.

According to this infographic below by Online Education, “While it’s no secret that college students are addicted to technology, the specifics of their gadget usage have never been studied scientifically until now.” One of the most interesting things on here to me is that the University of Maryland asked some students not to use media for 24 hours. A large percentage of the students experienced symptoms similar to drug and alcohol withdrawal. Hey, I’m right there with ya’ll! I’d be the same way too. Thank you to @gupshupblog for sending this infographic to me.