By Maureen Fox

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Nothing is more distracting than students in class playing “Farmville” and surfing Facebook on their laptop computers in the row in front of you.

For one thing, it makes you wish you were playing “Farmville;” it also takes your attention away from the lecture.

Students who use their laptops for things other than schoolwork in class are annoying distractions. I understand why students use their laptops in class; they make taking notes easier. Lord knows how difficult it can be to use paper and pens to keep up with lectures. I guess students can’t handle writing cramps like they used to.

But rather than use laptops to help them study, many students play online games or watch YouTube videos. This has many negative consequences. Being distracted by laptops can lead to poor grades.

I’m constantly overhearing students complain about how poorly they’re doing in class. Then as soon as the professor starts talking, they’re behind their screens reading the latest celebrity gossip – and they wonder why they don’t do well.

Students who misuse their laptops also insult the professors who trust students to use their computers for note taking. But some students abuse that trust by using their laptops to do other things. If you’re not going to pay attention, why bother going to class?

I’m not saying that every student who uses laptops in class misuses them. Many students do rely on them to help them with their education. But the students who misuse their laptops hurt the people who don’t as well. Professors are getting fed up, and they’ll soon implement stricter rules – like banning laptops completely. Some professors already have.

The least these students could do is be more subtle about not paying attention. Professors know what’s going on, and I’m getting sick of them interrupting their lectures to chastise those students.

Most annoying of all, students with laptops don’t notice or care how much they distract their peers. Maybe you don’t want to be in class, but some of us have to pay attention in order to do well. It’s hard enough without you watching “The Matrix” right in front of us.

Those who get distracted by laptops impact more people than they realize. Just ask the two pilots of Northwest Flight 188 who lost their licenses after they overshot their destination by 150 miles. And what were they doing? Fooling around on their laptops. In the cockpit. With 144 passengers trusting them with their lives.

At least students don’t have that level of responsibility.

By Jonathan Montgomery

Daily Titan Staff Writer

I’m sure we’ve all seen them. They typically sit in the back, or maybe they’re bold and sit near the front, scrolling through Facebook pictures and chat messages and getting high scores on

AddictingGames.com.

Yes, laptops can be a distraction, but I’ve also witnessed diligent students utilizing PowerPoint and word processors for note taking.

These are the students I like to remember.

Laptops are powerful machines capable of aiding with research, projects and communicating with others globally.

We do our homework on them. We study with them. And of course, we also “socialize,” with them.

Just because some students are apathetic about their education shouldn’t ruin a great resource that’s capable of increasing productivity for the rest of us.

Using this same vein of logic, perhaps we should take away pens and paper from those who doodle in their notebooks instead of listening intently to their professor. Or maybe we should use the eyelid restraints found in “A Clockwork Orange” on those who sleep or daydream.

If history has taught me anything, it’s that banning things to rid people of their habits will only result in something else taking its place.

As always, some people are in class to learn, others are not. We can take away all the laptops, but some people simply won’t want to be in class.

Furthermore, implementing logic that says, “If we want to change peoples’ habits, just take the offending object away,” sets a dangerous precedent that assumes people can’t take responsibility for themselves.

Every day people skip class, show up late, sleep, don’t study, etc. Maybe we should be going after distractions found outside the classroom.

I’m not really sure who is complaining in this situation.

If a professor doesn’t want laptops in a classroom, great, then they should write it in their syllabus.

If students are mad that other people can blow through class not caring about learning anything, tough.

They just sound envious and need to get over it.

Ultimately, it should be left up to the professor.

For smaller classes where class participation is vital, maybe the professor won’t want laptops.

But in large classrooms where attendance isn’t mandatory, who cares?

At least they came to class, and at least those who actually want to use their laptops for productive means will still be allowed to.

PHOTO:  The Gateway NX850XL. (Handout/KRT) — MCT