It鈥檚 possible if you put away your phone.
So says , Harrington School of Communication and Media senior lecturer. Her course, 鈥淐OM 321: Social Media and Interpersonal Communication,鈥� requires students to examine what effect their social media and technology use has on their perceptions, identities, and relationships. And, in doing so, they just might get better grades.
鈥淭he rule in my class is no phones,鈥� Proulx says. 鈥淚f a student is even touching a phone, it鈥檚 one point off of their final average.鈥�
Her justification: Researchers have found that a student with a phone on their desk will score lower on an assessment than one who keeps the phone in their backpack.
In the course of the semester, Proulx requires students to analyze their social media use for a week, asking questions such as, 鈥淗ow many days, weeks, years did you waste on Instagram? You can鈥檛 get that time back. What could you have been doing?鈥�
Students are often aghast at their self-study. 鈥淚鈥檓 a horrible person,鈥� one student told Proulx. 鈥淚鈥檝e been wasting my life.鈥�
The Pew Research Center reports that 95 percent of U.S. adults own mobile phones. How much wasted time that adds up to is impossible to say, but knowledge is power, Proulx says. 鈥淯se it, but understand it. Don鈥檛 let it dictate your life.鈥�