You’ve seen students on their cellphones or their laptops during class. Almost all of them are playing games, downloading more games to play, reading their email, checking Facebook or stumbling across funny cat pictures and giving them a thumbs up.

If we all were to strive and get a degree for just using technology, no doubt we would all have a cool piece of paper in a frame already hanging on our walls. But, this degree is worthless because it only singles out the elderly people in the digital divide.

We are in college to obtain an education and use the technology as a tool to enhance our experience and obtain a happy reality.

Technology does cause distractions, but I believe we truly beg for those distractions. The Internet was created to send messages and communicate at a faster rate through email. Facebook was created to stay connected with people at any time. And, well, games are games for the distracted, bored, times for relaxation and fun, and people who just have nothing better to do with their time.

Then there are the stories about students not having enough time to complete an assignment, land a job interview or even find a jobs.

The problem is that these students distract themselves with technology from the tasks at hand. We beg for these distractions as if at the very present time we don’t want to get good grades, land a job interview or even get a job.

We distract ourselves because we are either bored, scared or just dumb.

If you are bored, I suggest you ask the professor a question or start thinking of ways to apply the material to your goals and aspirations. I’m sure you’re bound to unbore yourself or at least prevent yourself from begging for distraction with technology. If you continue to be bored, then you are probably in the wrong class, major or college.

If you are scared, I’m with you. Reality is not looking too great at the moment, but the challenge to be successful in these harsh times is too rewarding to be frightened by. If we spend our time in distraction, reality will truly frighten us.

And if you are just dumb, I’m sorry. You are probably also one who plans on just getting a degree to say you have one and then start looking for a job that you most likely aren’t happy with. I’m probably generalizing, but most generalizations are educated. By choosing to be distracted just for the sake of being distracted, you are really begging for failure or just settling in life.

Technology is not meant to distract you, but we allow technology to distract us and we do it too well. Technologies have been and continue to be developed to be tools and services that get something done faster, easier and at our convenience. Convenience is not distraction.

We are the ones distracting ourselves with technology and as a result our potential time and effort in college is greatly diminished.

But if you can be aware of when you are distracting yourself on purpose, I say you are moving in the right direction of realizing how important time and effort are in college.

I didn’t write this to motivate you. I wrote this because I can’t stand to hear people complain when they are the ones who have begged for distraction.