College life is one of the most mind opening experiences that young adults will have. College students are exposed to different cultures, ways of thought, and lifestyle than what they were used to during high school. Colleges possess the full spectrum of students with the full spectrul of student’s lifestyles. While all college students are different in their cultural or personal lifestyles, most college students share the same technological needs and tastes to aid and express their lifestyle.
The Laptop. Back when my parents were in school, the essential piece of content publication technology was a Brother brand typewriter that printed on thermal paper. Technology has progressed quite a bit over the last thirty years, and I am able to write my papers and publish my content from this 13.9″ Sony Vaio notebook computer. While some students do have PCs in their dorm room, laptop computers are the preference of most college students. Campus-wide WiFi technology and the portable nature of laptops has made it possible for students to write papers (or access FaceBook) from almost anywhere on campus. Many students have also taken the term “notebook” computer literally, and now use their computers to take notes during class lectures. Taking notes via a laptop has allowed many students to capture more information, due to the fact that most of us can type much faster than we can write with pen.
The iPod. The iPod’s music and video playing abilites allow students to take their music and movie collections with them wherever they go. Additionally, the iPod touch includes many of the same features of iPhones like internet browsing and chat features. In the future, I expect the iPod Touch to be less about the music, and more about the communication features that feed the need for instant gratification on college campuses worldwide.
The SmartPhone. Student’s everlasting desire to impress each other have turned college campuses into breeding grounds for the latest in cell phone technology. At MWC in Spain (the conference where the latest in mobile and cell phone technology is showcased) smartphones have completely stolen the show. In a few years, the only “regular” looking phone will be your grandparent’s JitterBug. Smartphones have fueled student’s love for constant communication and interaction. Most smartphones have well-developed applications systems allowing students to participate in instant messaging, or socail networking websites like Facebook.
Text Messaging. If you haven’t picked up a major theme in this post yet, then you might want to go back to school and take a reading comprehension class. College students LOVE interaction and communication. They have an intense need to be connected to others at all times, and text messaging allows them to do just that. When laptops aren’t available, and professors don’t want their students talking on the phone during class – texting is the order of the day. I counted 67 audible phone vibrations in my 50 minute Business Law course with about 30 students in it. That means a text was recieved at the rate of about over 1per minute, with each student recieving at least 2 texts. More observation may be necessary, but I think it would be safe to say that college students are addicted to texting.
In the future, I expect to see these four forms of technology remain dominant in the lifestyles of college students. The only change may be the combination and integration of Smartphones and media players. Until then, it seems the iPod/iPhone will corner that market. If you are a college student, feel free to give a shout out to the piece of technology that aids or is most integrated into your lifestyle. It might also be cool to hear from some college graduates about what the technology and lifestyle was like in years past.
photo by:Dimitry B.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
With all this portable stuff, this brings up these questions:
1) How do you keep from getting your stuff stolen, lost or misplaced?
2) What do you do when you discover it’s gone and taken your data with it?
Portability is a great feature, but it’s also a great weakness.
Reply
ethan Reply:
February 19th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Great points here jrandom. You can expect a post in the near future that addresses these question!
ethan’s last blog post..Audacity Recording Software
Reply
I spent a total of 9 years in college, from undergrad to grad to instructor, and it’s been truly interesting to be a part of the fluctuating technological necessities. Interesting and pertinent article: I remember in 2001 when my Toshiba PDA was the thing I couldn’t live without.
Jessica Kunkel’s last blog post..Racial Stereotypes on the College Campus
Reply
Leave a Comment