As I arrive on campus early in the morning, I glance around at all of the students who are rushing to class, or casually walking with a friend or two. 85 percent of the people in front of me are on their phones. What is so important that one doesn’t even focus on the ground that he or she is walking on? 

Everyone seems so robotic as they stare at the screens on their phone and ignore the life around them.

I remember the days when cell phones were strictly used to make phone calls or send messages. The only way to know where a friend was, was to call, send a text or ask someone who might know. However, cell phones are much different than they were back then. Today, a cell phone is a prized possession. It acts as a computer, navigation device, video game, camera and of course a communication device. 

There are various experiments on YouTube, where a prankster asks different people to use their phone and then pretends to drop it. The reaction that the cell phone owners have are as if they had just seen someone drop a baby. 

I can admit that my cell phone is the key to my daily life. I use it for everything and even feel a little empty inside when I leave it at home by accident.

On the other hand, having a cell phone becomes a distraction in class or at work. Glancing around my class when it is in session, I frequently notice that along with a notebook and pen or pencil, there is a mini flat screen-like device sitting on many desks. 

I also notice my professor becoming more frustrated with every “put that phone away” he has to spit out. Students who are caught, quickly put the device away, only to pull it out again. How can students possibly pay full attention to the lecture when they are constantly checking Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or email? 

I will admit, I have been one of the students. I can also admit that there have been times when I forget I was asked to put it away and I pull it out again, only to realize my professor is becoming angry at the fact that I have completely ignored his orders. 

Then, I put myself in his shoes. How do professors feel when they are giving a lecture with constant interruptions? Though students may feel as though looking at their phone is not a real distraction, it is. Just imagine speaking in front of a group of people about something that has taken years to learn, just to find them ignoring you. 

The thing about being in college is that one is always on the go. People are busy and that is perfectly normal, but a vital part of success in college is being able to manage time efficiently. Many people run around campus like chickens with their heads cut off because they didn’t fully understand lecture and instead of raising their hands to ask questions. 

There have been a few challenges roaming social web recently. Lets try a new challenge; the “Turn Your Phone off in Class Challenge.” 

The rules: as soon as one steps into class, turn the phone off for the entire lecture period. After a week of doing this, people should feel a lot more focused and caught up with the rest of their classmates.