Recognizing technology’s up-, downsides crucial for students
USC is made up of a very diverse population. While sometimes it may not seem that way when surrounded by endless pastel Vineyard Vines hats or Jack Rogers sandals, it’s impossible to say that, with a population of a little more than 31,000, we aren’t all having a unique college experience.
In my third year at USC I’ve come to know that a lot of the points belabored to us in our first year are true. The people you meet are often more influential on who you become than the classes you take, attendance really helps and you get out what you put into the whole experience.
Balancing work, school and a social life is a delicate task that is made both better and worse by the addition of cell phones and laptops.
Unfortunately, right now we’re inundated with endless distraction opportunities like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, and online games, so while a laptop seems useful for looking up something on Blackboard, it can instantly turn into a black hole of distraction.
Our education system has readily embraced technology as a tool, but the technology that distracts us may be what’s holding us back from being one of the best-educated countries in the world. Unplugging for fifty minutes to pay attention to something you’re paying hundreds of dollars to hear shouldn’t be impossible, but that’s how we make it look.