Social media may be the trendiest way to pass time, but for many it can be a major distraction in their busy school or work life.
From Facebook to Instagram, social media is a way of communication and a way to show off talents and even let out emotions. For some students at California Baptist University, it has been noted as a serious distraction.
Dr. Veola Vasquez, associate professor of psychology, recognizes students who spend time on social media in class are not getting the full benefits of the lecture.
“Outside of class, the more they spend on (social media) the less time they spend on other things,” Vasquez said. “Oftentimes, someone’s focus is there so, even if they are not on social media, they might be working on a paper but be distracted by a notification.”
Vasquez said students, even when they are not on their phones or looking through social media on their laptops, are still thinking about the use of it, because there is still emotional investment attatched to social media use.
Corey Yngsdal, freshman music education and piano performance double major, said he constantly finds himself scrolling through Facebook or any accessible social media site when he should be doing homework or studying for an upcoming test.
“It is just really easy to get caught up in social media because it’s easier than doing homework and studying,” Yngsdal said. “There is something really interesting and attractive about social media that causes us to spend more time in it than actually doing what we need to do.”
Yngsdal said when he finds he has been distracted by social media for a while, he tries not to spend too much time on it.
“I try to prioritize what I need to get done first and follow through with that, then if I have free time at the end I will check it,” Yngsdal said.
Kristin Nyquist, sophomore instrumental performance major, uses social media on a daily basis and said she realizes just how distracting it is in her daily life.
Nyquist said she knows just how important time is with juggling work part time, being a full-time student and doing extracurricular activities.
“Recently, I have deleted the Facebook app and now I have a lot more time,” Nyquist said.
Nyquist said when she is by herself, it is easier for her to spend her time on social media rather than socialize with other people or focus on school work.
