Editorial: Obnoxious in-class cell phone use needs to end

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Posted: 11/3/08

In the past decade, the technological revolution has led to the near-ubiquity of cell phones - and with this, new standards of courtesy and etiquette that must be considered. Nowhere is this more clear than in college, where the proliferation of cell phones, combined with a generally relaxed classroom climate has led to some of the most flagrant violations of common courtesy.

Consider the following:

You're sitting in your afternoon class, listening to your professor attempt to explain the intricacies of baroque music in the 18th century or list the sects of dissenting political groups during the reign of Charles X in England when it happens. The sound of Kanye's "Stronger" or James Blunt's "Beautiful," (or, in a particularly hilarious moment in a journalism class last week, Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy") blares from a cell phone, interrupting class and causing professors and students to look disdainfully around the room for the offending wireless device.

In this case, a cell phone has not only disrupted the overall learning experience, it has likely hurt the professor, who is trying to keep the attention of the class.

Some try to avoid this problem by turning their phones to vibrate during class, however, this is generally of limited help. Since most students keep their phones on their desks during class, a vibrating cell creates as much of a distraction as a ringtone, particularly when the vibrating is allowed to continue for up to a full minute.

Beyond this, students regularly leave class more than once to go outside in the hallway and answer a phone call. Oftentimes, they stand directly outside the classroom door and speak loudly so there is no mystery as to why they excused themselves from class.

The problem of cell phone etiquette has only worsened in the past few years. Students now not only regularly text message throughout an entire class period, but many students actually feel comfortable answering a ringing cell phone during class, if only to tell the person calling that they are unavailable. The time has come to confront cell phone related rudeness in the classroom. Students should begin setting their phones to silent, not vibrate or normal. Furthermore, texting in class should be kept to a minimum, or, at the very least, done discretely so as not to distract the rest of the class or offend the professor. Most importantly, we should try to remember that we came to college to learn - staring at a cell phone screen during class might not be the best way to accomplish that.