Cell Phones, Text Messaging, and Facebook: Competing Time Demands of Today's College Students

Abstract

This study of time use and entertainment choices of college students used a triangulated approach to discover how college students use and manage their time. From the data we gathered through time diaries, students indicated that the greatest amount of personal time is spent in some form of communication (talking face to face, texting, talking on the phone, and using social networking Web sites). Students spent about the same amount of time studying for courses (M = 11.91 hours per week, SD = 3.27) as they do actually attending courses each week (M = 12.35, SD 4.51). By comparison, students reported spending 14.35 hours each week texting and 6.49 hours talking on the phone. Females had statistically higher GPAs than males and scored higher on academic striving. Data indicated that students were engaged by instructors who seemed passionate about the content they were teaching, viewed their college education through the lens of a consumer model, and expected to have a personal connection with their professors. Recommendations for adapting instructional strategies are provided.