I am 33 and mom of 3 children, 12, 9 and 2. My 12 yr old son has a cell phone and NEVER carries it with him and drives me nuts. I live on my phone but I am on the fence with this topic. I am a young mom but I was raised and raise my kids old school. I think texting while someone else is talking is rude. I make my son remove his hat whenever we walk into a building still. My point is basic common sense in human decency towards others is severely lacking now a days. And that very well may be because the times they are a changing! We live in a society who heavily depends on electronics, reading books on hand helds. The land where spellcheck teaches kids to spell instead of a good dictionary. But can you tell someone to not play a game on a laptop when they are paying to be there? Yes it's rude and it distracts the other people sitting around them too. Unfortunately this is not going to get easier..at this point professors should be thankful they still have a job before they are taken over by classes online...on a laptop.

PJ, You have some great points. We too are trying to bring our children up with "traditional" values. If you want to talk to someone, call them. I think kids these days need a lesson in school regarding respect and courtesy toward others. I also think that we need to be the positive examples for this. If we are texting and on our phones/computers all day, why wouldn't they be doing the same? I just think it's a shame that we aren't able to enjoy, or at least be engaged, in the moment that is right in front of us instead of what's on the other end of the phone or facebook, or whatever other "cyber" toy we have at our fingertips. And, so, for that reason, I don't agree with students being allowed to use devices for reasons other than academic. Sure the professors should be thankful for a job, but it goes both ways-kids should thankful for an education too. I fear for where our society is headed with all of these things-instant gratification is the norm now and it's sad.

The majority of college students are over 18. Laws prevent the access of their grades and college activities by parents, or people other than the student. Because of this very same process, I do not believe we have the opportunity to debate this topic. The authority of what is conducted in and during the class is the responsibility of the instructor/professor. This thread will turn into wasted breath.

Neither texting, nor surfing, nor daydreaming are appropriate in a classroom situation. If the professor is talking at the students, they can choose to listen or not. If the professor is involving the students in an activity, there is no time for texting, surfing, or daydreaming. Perhaps the problem is with the professor, not the student. I am a retired professor.

Regardless of the technology present, there are a few basic facts. One, if a student texting, then they are not concentrating on the class. I don't care if they are geniuses that can multi-task; if they do this they are showing that they still have not "learned to learn". Two, they are being discrespectful to the speaker. Sadly, society as a whole has become more disrespectful, ironically due to the dehumanizing effects of the technology being used to write these comments. Finally, if the student is not paying attention, they are wasting the money being used to pay for the class, be it the parent's money, a scolarship fund, or their own student loan money. The problem with the issue is that I am making these observations after having the life experience of paying for my own education, but not really acknowledging that fact at the time i was fooling around in class. All of us may say what we want, but at their age, most (American) college students do not take their classes as seriously as they should, and a surprising amount should probably not even be there.

Of course they should. Then they can get text message updates whenever i post some more of the local dirt I have uncovered.

I do not let my students take their cell phones out in class. They need to put them away. This way they are not distracted and neither is anyone else around them who is watching them text. I think it is not only distracting but disrespectful. When students use laptops to take notes, I also monitor whether they are gaming, emailing or posting on a social network. So, I think the message gets to Professor and whether or not students have the right to make their own decisions at 18, a Professor's responsibility is to manage the classroom.

These college classes, if I'm not mistaken, are being paid for by the student...right? If that's correct, they can waste their money all they want texting in class....as long as it isn't my dime

As an adjunct at NCC, I see that prevailing mind-set a great deal but, I think it is a pretty selfish one. Sure they might waste their money but, they are also wasting the money of those students that they disrupt and distract with the texting. Sitting in a classroom and hearing the "beep" every time a student gets a reply on the text and seeing them hurry to pound away at the keys is distracting.

Also, it isn't just texting anymore. Kids have smart phones, iphones, android phones that have the capability to download any sort of information. Sometimes it is useful in class but, most of the time, they are surfing, facebooking or emailing and not paying attention. Then, as the professor, they ask me "did I miss something?" or "I don't understand," and then the class is set back because they weren't paying attention. I never let cell phones out during a test or quiz either because cyber cheating is a real problem.

I think it is important for young adults to know that even though they are paying for their education it is still a privilege that not everyone can afford. Many times, the student is on scholarship or financial aid. They should appreciate it and get as much as they can out of it. The skills and discipline they learn in the classroom is training for their future.

Great response Tara! If I were a teacher or professor I would show them the door. If you are there to learn, you do not need your phone. Grow up people. Do you think your boss is going to let you check all your texts and messages on his dime?

As a professor, it is difficult to keep track of what the students are doing. From the front of the class, they all look alike. From the back, it is quite a different view. I once taught classes where every student was seated at a Mac, being instructed on how to perform certain techniques. There was a screen in the front of the room demonstrating the techniques, while I commented. I could see all of the activity of the students. If one had a problem, I would go to that student individually and give personal assistance. The problem is that you can't see their eyes, but I would notice any surfing or texting on their Macs or other devices.

I guess my point of view is this....We say now when our kids are in 1st through 12th that they shouldn't have cell phones on them in class, we know that is not the case, kids are on their phones in school and I'm not talking college. I hear about it from my own kids, sure, the schools are trying their best to stop this and when they do find someone with a phone in use, I think they take it away and probably until the end of the school year, and I have no problem with that. My son has a cell phone on him and he knows, it's for after he gets off that bus, I want to make sure he has that on him if he needs it on his way home, if he forgets his key, if the lock sticks etc.....(it's an old house)....BUT, if he pulls it out in school and it gets taken away, too darn bad, you just lost your phone till the end of the year, now you better make sure you have your key when you leave in the morning cause if not, your sitting on the porch till I get home. When it comes to a college student, they are old enough to make those decisions, if they know a professor doesn't want a cell phone on in class it's their decision to keep it off or use it, but, I certainly don't think we need to be parenting them like we do when our kids are in the primary grades. These kids in college are there to further their education, it's their choice and it's not a requirement....it's their loss if they don't pay attention and hopefully their classmates have the backbone to tell them what a waste it is.