Ninety-five percent of college students are taking laptops and cell phones to college this year, and more than half of students will also bring TVs, headphones and printers to campus. While some of these most popular tech devices are necessary for school work and others for entertainment, today’s college students are using their tech in ways that blur the lines between their social and academic lives.
Asurion, the connected life services company, recently surveyed more than 1,000 students heading to colleges and universities across the nation to determine how they use their electronic devices while at college. The Asurion Connected College Life survey revealed that from laptops and tablets to cell phones and headphones, tech dominates college life, both on and off campus.
“College is often the first time students move away from home and are expected to be responsible for themselves and their personal technology without their parents looking over their shoulders,” said Bettie Colombo, Asurion spokesperson. “Our Connected College Life survey has generated insights into how this new independence is helping to shape the ways students use and think about their technology both in and out of the classroom.”
Key insights from the Asurion Connected College Life survey:
Paying Attention in Class?
Nearly half (47 percent) of college students have ordered food while in class. Seven out of 10 college students (70 percent) have shopped online during lectures, and more than half (57 percent) have taken a selfie.
The New “Dog Ate My Homework”
Laptops, tablets and phones have become a vital component of student life and college studies. In fact, missing and broken computers, tablets and mobile phones are the new “dog ate my homework” excuse. One-third (33 percent) of college students report missing a class or college deadline because the electronic device they use for studies was lost or broken. Further, 15 percent of college students report lying that their computer or laptop was missing or broken to get out of a college deadline.
College Students Rarely Call
For all the time spent on their cell phones, one-third of college students say they never make calls. Instead, much of the time college students spend on their cell phones is focused on texting (20 percent), socializing on networking sites (17 percent), browsing the internet (12 percent) and listening to music (11 percent). While nine out of 10 college students prefer to hang out with their friends face-to-face versus connecting with them online, technology still rules their communication habits.
College Takes a Toll on Tech
College students may be young adults, but when it comes to electronics, they aren’t adults just yet. Nearly one in five (18 percent) laptops, tablets, mobile phones and other devices were lost, stolen or broken while students were out socializing at parties, bars and restaurants. The majority of incidents (56 percent) occurred during the usual day-to-day college activities, such as while students were in class, studying or while hanging out in their dorm room.
When accidents happen, replacing a device is no small fee. Nearly a third of students (29 percent) who had tech devices lost, stolen or broken say they spent $400 or more on a replacement.
From laptops to cell phones, help ensure your college students’ tech devices are protected on and off campus to save on expensive repairs and replacements. Ask your wireless carrier or retailer for details, or visit www.asurion.com for more information.
Survey Methodology: The survey of 1,006 college students ages 18-25 was commissioned by Asurion and conducted by Survey Sampling International in July 2015. Respondents were ages 18-25 returning to college in the fall, and who live away from their parents while in college. Margin of error for the survey base of 1000 respondents is /- 3.1 percent.