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I am willing to bet you twenty dollars that you can count the number of people who you know that don't have cell phones on a single hand. A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article says that the number of cell phone users in the United States has increased from 34 million ten years ago, to 203 million today. With cell phones quickly becoming a "necessity" to some, or a "necessary evil" to others, it is no surprise that they have found their way into the classroom. Yet another agent for disruption and distraction is here, and according to the statistics, the cell phone is here to stay.


I have broken down cell phone disruptions into three common categories:


1. The texting neighbor - In the process of taking notes in class, you notice a glare in the corner of your eye. The source is the glow of the cellphone that belongs to the kid sitting next to you. He attempts to hold it below his desk so the professor won't notice his transgression, but it is blatantly obvious that he is not paying attention. He is staring at his phone so hard that he is practically burning a hole in the display. The subtle clicking of the number pad, accompanied with the fluourescent glow of the LCD display are more than enough to distract you from the notes which you are trying to take. The texting neighbor has a limited range of disruption, usually limited to the people sitting on either side of the perpetrator.



2. The vibrating pocket - Whats that pleasant buzzing feeling in your pocket? No, its not some sort of adult toy, its your cellphone. Your mind is jarred from the task at hand when you recieve an unexpected call and your pocket turns into a holster for a phone-sized jumping-bean. Your hand instinctively dives into your pocket in an effort to squelch the vibration as rapidly as possible. In the heat of the moment, you hang up on whoever was trying to call. You switch your phone to silent, and place it back in your pocket as you try to catch up to the rest of the class.


3. The unexpected ring - Compared to the previous two categories, the unexpeted ring is an infrequent occurance. However, it is a weapon of mass disruption. While minding your own business, your ears sharpen at the sound of an unfamiliar ringtone, muffled by the fabric of a pocket, backpack, or purse. A moment of panic sweeps across the class as everyone checks to make sure that their phone is not the source of the disruption. The panic subsides for all but one, the perpetrator, who now quickly ruffles through his or her backpack to find the source of the ring and to terminate it at all costs. An awkard and sheepish apology is surely soon to follow. Following the incident, everyone in the class retrieves their phone from its unique resting place to make sure that it is set to silent.


Technology is both our friend, and our enemy. In these cases, the cell phone shows its mischevious side. The major appeal of a cell phone may be to be available at any time, but in these class scenarios, that is also what makes the cell phone such a frustrating piece of technology. But hey, you know what they say : "Can't live with it, can't live without it."

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