Many students use Facebook during classroom time

Mobile devices and Internet are taking away from students’ learning

By Nicole Solum and Kara Smyth

On the BSU campus, Facebook is a constant presence. It can be a distraction that takes you away from your class or study time, but it can also be a useful tool to connect you to the world. Some professors have a real issue with the use of Facebook in the classroom and others are not fully aware of the use of Facebook in the class.For example, James Stone, professor of physical education and head women’s soccer coach, said,  “Texting is a huge issue. I hate it.  I can’t tell if their on Facebook, but I know they’re on their phones . . . it’s irritating.” 

According  to Facebooks Web Site they have more than 500 million active users. Two hundred million of those users currently access Facebook through a mobile device.  Technology advances every day and allows users to access Facebook from pretty much anywhere, including the classroom.  There are so many intriguing things on Facebook that make students want to be connected at all times.  While on Facebook they are able to check status updates, look at pictures, relationship statuses, and be connected with their friends.  Besides checking up on friends, users can update their own profile. With updates and statuses constantly changing, students feel the need to log on to Facebook during class. 

In an informal survey of 55 BSU students, half stated that they are on Facebook during classroom time.  Most students access the Internet by their mobile device.  However, some use a computer when available.   Some students never log in during class; some never log off.  One student even stated that “Facebook is all I do during class.”  According to Facebook.com press room 250 million people log into Facebook every day.   The 50% of students who stated they do not log into Facebook during classroom time note that they do not have Internet access through their phone or computer.  

In the survey, 89% of students stated that it affects their study time and school work.   Sophomore Tiffany VanHaaften, sport management major, said, “I get on during class just to see what my friends are doing and to see if statuses changed.”  Outside the classroom, students admit they are on Facebook when they should be concentrating on finishing homework.   “When I’m doing homework I do log into Facebook for a minute, but then it turns into hours,” said VanHaaften.  



Professors have a different take. Some professors at Bemidji State University know that Facebook takes away from students’ attention during class time.  It’s difficult for professors to catch students on Facebook if they are using their mobile device.  However, if a student has a computer in front of them it’s easier for the professor to see what they are doing.  Department Chair and professor of accounting Sandra Kranz noted that having students on Facebook during class would bother her. Kranz also stated that if she notices a student on Facebook during class she would invite them to leave the classroom.

Assistant professor of psychology Dr. Angela Fournier stated that she notices students using Facebook during her large lecture classes. During computer lab classes she watches her students very closely to keep them from logging into Facebook.  Fournier also mentions that the use of Facebook during class bothers her very much, and that she now has a policy stated in her syllabus about the use of Facebook during class. Students are not allowed to use their laptops in her class at all unless they have a documented learning disorder. It’s difficult for students to absorb vital information when being distracted by Facebook, it is certainly capable of distracting a student to the point where they don’t get anything out of the lecture. 



The fact is that Facebook is a complete phenomenon.  It gives people a plethora of ways to connect and stay connected with people across the world.  Professor of sport management Dr. Eric Forsyth has his own opinion on why people are so into Facebook.  “It’s more convenient to stay in an inner circle instead of getting up, driving, going out and meeting, or calling people.  Everything is right there at your finger tips.” People are social beings, they want to be connected and interlinked to family and friends constantly and Facebook gives them that. 

           

Facebook is a social network that was created in February 2004. Photo/ Nicole Solum

A student at BSU logs into Facebook through their mobile device during a lecture class. Photo/ Kara Smyth

           



Video Games: Virtual vs. Reality

College Students are addicted to Call of Duty
By Brandon Miles

Word Count 650

The loud sound of a chopper gunner fills the room as you annihilate the opposing team. After the chopper wreaks havoc, the attack dogs are called to action. These dogs are trained man-killers and will attack on first-sight.  It might appear to be from a scene in a war movie but it is the environment of a video game, Call of Duty.

According to Game Informer magazine, Call of Duty Black Ops is the highest grossing video game to date selling a total of 50 million copies in the first week of the release. This dramatic game is known to be a war simulation used in military training programs. Employee Ron Starks of Game Stop said, "The vivid images of today's video games are so realistic that it creates a hypnosis effect, sucking someone right into the game making players feel as if they were actually in the game." The game is so addicting that people drop all of their priorities in order to get some, "Crucial COD time" said BSU student-athlete Jake Schmitt.

Call of Duty Black Ops

Video games have been placed at the top when it comes to technology innovation, offering various kinds of first-person shooter games ranging from futuristic concepts to real-life war simulations. Consumers also have the opportunity to play the Xbox kinect, a video game that reacts with the body as a controller.

The New Xbox Kinect

So what do we do with all these cool video games, drop the real world and live in a virtual fantasy world? That seems to be the trend and according to grabstats.com a whopping 65% of college students play video games 5 hours or more per week."I think I play between two and three hours a Call of Duty a day," said BSU student Andrew Eagan.

 The television show True Life did a special episode on addiction to video games and in that episode the characteristics and habits of the people portrayed were like many gamers at BSU. The virtual world of modern video games allows players to escape reality and be part of a fantasy world that some people like better that the real one, "When I am bored in class, thinking about playing video games always puts me in a better mood," said sophomore marketing major Matt Larson, "even if I have homework or something important to do I just would much rather game."

Excessive amount of television exposure could prove detrimental as many studies have shown how television and gaming have adverse effects on the mind. The excess game play can cause some people to develop irregular sleeping habits or even skip meals, which can be harmful over a long period of time.

Call of Duty is so mesmeric amongst today's youth that some gamers will wait in line for hours in order to be the first one with the game. "The night that Call of Duty: Black Ops was released I waited two hours in line and every bit of the wait was worth it because COD is the best game out." Said senior design technology major Mitch Minardi. “Now that I'm almost done with school I have more free time, so I don't know what I would do without the my Xbox."

Senior Design Technology Major Mitch Minardi

Playing video games has become a way of life for some people and the re-actions to this lifestyle decision will have harsh consequences if continued in the long run. Video games are entertainment not a lifestyle.

Virtual War