“How College Students Are Impacted by Technology and Their Devices” is a research paper that studies the way students are effected in class by their electronic devices. There were various steps taken to complete this research in a timely and effective manner. Interviews with classmates and friends were conducted to add a personal touch to the research. This topic was chosen after experiencing first hand just how distracted students can be by various forms of technology. It was important for me to include this piece because it shows my skills as a writer, as well as research I have completed.
Abstract
Scholars have studied how social media is helpful to students and the ways it can be used as an educational tool. When technology first became available to teachers and professors, it was used in a positive light, for students to have access to more tools and have strong results in their education. In today's day and age, technology is so much more accessible than it was, and its capabilities are often being abused.
As our whole generation is a part of the Gen Z community, technology will always play a role in our daily lives and impact the way we are educated (ASU, 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic moved everything online, people were locked in their houses, and the only way to connect was via the phone. This way of interaction created an addiction to phones for most people, especially students who were going to school online. After the pandemic calmed down, some students still preferred to continue their learning online rather than going to school in person.
Numerous research studies that been conducted that relate to the topic of college students and how they use their devices. In recent years, it’s been found that social media is causing college students to not engage in social interactions that are available to them (Battiste, 2023). Instead of participating in group activities, students spend time on their devices, engaging in an online world with people who hide their faces behind screens.
A total of six interviews will be conducted as part of this study to determine the screen time average among a group of college students, who are all in their final year at Elon University. Through this study, topics will be explored such as screen time average, social media usage, phone usage during class, laptop distractions, and more. Questions the participants will be asked include the following, “what is your daily average screen time? Which social media app do you think you spend the most time on and why? Do you find yourself using your phone during class? Do you have any time limits set on your phone, why or why not?” It will be interesting to see how the results relate back to the articles in the literature review.