The behavior of college students with the presence of Internet - Research Paper Example

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 1 Running Head: COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET The behavior of college students with the presence of Internet COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 2 Abstract The purpose of this research is to understand the behavior of college students toward the use of internet and to be aware of the possible effects of the internet to the study habits. The researchers conducted an online survey and were distributed to ten respondents which contain basic questions about how they often use the internet, what online activities they engage themselves and what are the influences of the internet in their studies. More so, an interview was conducted with a guidance counselor to have more specific information. According to the results, internet affects the college students’ behavior, specifically the productivity in the school matters. The researchers concluded that with the improper use of internet, there is a possibility that internet can affect the productivity of college students regarding their study habits. However, internet serves as a powerful tool in terms of communication and contributes to lessen the school works of the college students. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 3 The behavior of college students with the presence of the Internet Internet is inevitable in today’s educational system because most of the college students and professors use and seek help from the internet. This is a system that is continually growing and developing to broaden students’ knowledge and create a different perspective in learning in mathematics, language proficiency and other skills to prepare the students as they go to the business environment. Most of the universities and colleges provide internet access to help the students in working on their assigned task and submit on-time. However, excessive use of internet hinders the productivity of students. In any kind of strategy used in studying in order to achieve good grades and gain success, certain factors like the internet must be taken into consideration: Social media sites, search engines, educational sites and other web pages with the quick access and availability of the internet, since college students tend to depend on its functions. The number of college students who have been affected by the use of internet specifically the use of social media were multiplied. Social networking is the top frequently used by the students which can be the cause of negative behavior and learning of the students. This paper will focus on the influence, convenience and relevance of the internet and its effects on the study habits of college students. Presently, considering the modern innovation of technology, the internet may be used for study and recreational purposes. It yields different effects on the works of the students. Primarily it has advantages and disadvantages that encompass the students and their works. The intention of the researchers is to identify if the internet affects the COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 4 students’ behavior and their study habits and to emphasize to the students how internet influences their demeanor. Bound to the limited information that we acquire in previous years about modern technology, we decided to conduct a research study to explain and discuss some vague concepts about this. This research study is guided by different questions in order to know the answers of this endeavor. Social media is a worldwide phenomenon for teenagers in terms of being a new medium for communication with people, getting updates in school through Facebook, e-mails and others and develop our socialization with different types of persons. But with all these reasons, are there any possibilities that social media can reflect in the study habits of college students? Many college students stay in their computers for long hours because of educational and entertainment matters. The researchers want to know if the time allotment in the use of internet greatly influences the study habits of students. The modern technology specifically the internet has different and peculiar pedagogy in teaching students because of the educational sites it provides but does internet today improve the skills and knowledge of college students compared to the traditional manner of teaching we used to? Therefore, while probing more into the functions and effects of the internet to college students, this research paper dissects the quintessential factors of the study habits and behavior of the college students. The group has then proposed that the behavior and study habits of college students are affected by their use of internet. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 5 Purpose of Internet for College students Technology plays an important role in shaping the values of college students. Internet enhances the personal knowledge of the college students by contributing greater amount of exposure in enriching experience that internet can provide. The usual use of internet to college students is for education and recreational purposes. College students use internet in their studies to improve their comprehension, language, intelligence and skills. The research of O’Hara and Pritchard (2010) revealed that technology specifically the internet can assimilate and/ or modify the learning in content area, reading comprehension and language acquisition of the students (O’Hara & Pritchard, 2010). First, technology and content area learning, multimedia and hypermedia used as instruments to substantiate the positive effects of technology itself and technology towards learning. Second, technology and reading comprehension, as Pearson demonstrated meta-analysis involving different kinds of digital tools which manifested on images, videos and audio clips, web pages and other media forms (as cited in O’Hara & Pritchard, 2010). They concluded that with the use of these forms students ameliorate reading comprehension and widen the range of vocabulary by giving an access in articulating words, attributing the meaning of the words, providing a parcel of information about the words and assisting an individual in understanding the reading materials. And lastly, technology and learning acquisition, the researchers Ayersman, Boone & Higgins, Charney, and Martinez-Lage conducted an investigation which resulted in the same conclusion that multimedia provides a greater amount of development in language rather than the use of traditional teaching milieu (as cited in COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 6 O’Hara & Pritchard, 2010). Zahao said that there was a study highlighted the influence of technology to the language acquisition which contains different ways in nurturing it (as cited in O’Hara & Pritchard, 2010). The internet has the capacity to give thousands of news and literature which can be consider authentic in order to aid college students particularly video materials online with helpful, advance and precise captions and notes it provides. According to the research of Brock MacDonald (n.d.) claimed that internet is an immense resource which needed to be used carefully and critically (Brock MacDonald, n.d.). Students in college use the internet in their leisure time or for recreational activities such as social networking, gaming, viewing videos and other activities. College students visualize that the developments of technology specifically internet creates a great shift in communicating with individuals and families by providing innovative and transformative manner of communication. Pempek stated that social media sites had the capacity for keeping in touch with friends from different regions of the world (as cited in Sponcil & Gitimu, n.d.). The research of Sponcil and Gitimu (n.d.) showed that college students spent a great amount of time daily in social networking sites for entertainment and passing time (Sponcil & Gitimu, n.d.). For college students the internet was a convenient tool due to its ability that in just click students can watch movies, series also tv shows and/ or programs that students disregard during school days. Moreover, not only for watching purposes were internet was intended, activities concerning different interest like cooking, performing different task to be healthy, and arts and crafts are present over the internet. The bottom line why students use internet for recreational COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 7 were purposeful in communication and interaction, to have a healthy lifestyle and livelihood for college students. Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Technology specifically internet invested an unforgettable imprint on history and to the modern generation of college students either for advantage or for disadvantage. As we decipher and rationalize the internet, we should take into consideration the opportunities which the internet contributed to the college students to be more creative, competent and clever as they went throughout the school environment. The research of Wilson (2007) stated that the positive benefits of using technology include knowledge attainment, socialization and entertainment (Wilson, 2007). Internet was a necessity to students because of the easy accessibility and convenience it brings. Jones research asserts that college students together with their professors find the internet useful and convenient for educational activities. It appeared that the uses of the internet include educational, business, browsing, appointments and entertainment (as cited in Safdar, Mahmood & Qutab, 2010). In spite of the different advantages of the internet to the lives of college students, disadvantages also occur abruptly. First and foremost, college students, who use digital technology particularly internet believed that their attention spans and ability to maintain concentration in a situation was being interfere by the internet. According to the researchers Fling and William heavy exposure to popular and undisputed violent games can develop aggression and habits that result in violence (as cited in Baker, 2010). As the researcher William asserts that students who got involved in chatting with unknown COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 8 persons or acquaintances had been subjected in cyber sexual relationships and worst exploitation with adult chat mates (as cited in Baker, 2010). In addition, students tend to take risk if meet-ups were involved in the relationship with their chat mates and use school matters as their excuse for using the internet. Internet hampered the time of college students in their studies because of excessive time consumption of the internet. Wilson (2007) declared that the only negative influence of the use of technology was students tend to be unhealthy when their only purpose is for entertainment (Wilson, 2007). Methods For this paper, an online survey method was used as the primary means of gathering information. As mentioned, the source of this paper’s data was the college students. Online survey was sent to ten college students to gather their opinions and stance on certain issues relevant to the study. Moreover, the effects of internet regarding their studies were surveyed to make a collective idea of what influence does internet bring to college students’ behavior specifically their study habits. This information was analyzed in order for the group to formulate a conclusion if internet can affect the behavior of college students towards their study. In addition, interview was conducted by the researchers to present the paper with additional facts to be suitable and reliable source for future researchers. The interviewee that the researchers invited was a guidance counselor of the college unit in St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. The researchers prepared a set of questions and asked the guidance counselor in order to gather sensible information about the great COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 9 impact of internet on the study habits of college students. This process is appropriate as it is convenient and also a direct communication from the researchers to the interviewee. Discussion of findings Presented below are the results and analysis of the responses to each question from the conducted survey. This will include a discussion on the analysis of the online survey with the group’s research on the matter. once a week 0 0% 2-3 times a week 0 0% Other 9 90% Figure 1. This figure illustrates how often the college students use internet in a week Out of 10 respondents in the conducted survey, 9 out of 10 answered other which means everyday which gives a 90%. In the research of Jones (2002) declares that college students are heavy users of the internet compared to the general population (Jones, 2002). COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 10 1-3 hours 3 30% 5-6 hours 4 40% Other 3 30% Figure 2.This figure illustrates how many hours do college students intend to use the internet. There was an equal percentage and frequency of students’ use of internet, 30% for both 1-3 hours and other but 4 out of 10 respondents is considered to be the greatest number of students who answered 5-6 hours. Social Networking 10 100% Gaming 2 20% Researching for school task 7 70% Getting entertained 5 50% Figure 3. This figure illustrates what do college students usually do in the internet. There were only 2 respondents who prefer gaming in the internet which gives 20%, out of 10 respondents 5 students used internet for entertainment, 70% of the college students answered researching for school works, and lastly, the data show that all of the respondents answered social networking was what college students usually do COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 11 which results to have 100%. According to the research of Jones, Yale, Millermaier and Perez (2009) it is important to generate a broad, comprehensive portrait of Internet use amongst college students to understand what they are doing online and what the implications of their use may be for other Internet users (Jones, Yale, Millermaier & Perez, 2009). To determine the primary factor that affects the study habits of college students with the presence of internet these questions were asked to identify the duration of intended days and hours using the internet in a week and what they usually do with the internet. The results show that students who use the internet every day mostly intend to use the internet 5-6 hours a day and some exceeding 6 hours; college students usually exert time in social networking and doing research for their school works. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 12 Yes 8 80% No 2 20% Figure 4. This figure illustrates the percentage if the internet affects the study habits of college students. A great number of students specifically 8 out of 10 answered yes, the internet affects in the study habits and 2 out of 10 college students answered no. Yes 9 90% No 1 10% Figure 5. This figure illustrates the college students’ answers if the internet greatly affects the productivity in school matters There were 9 out of 10 college students who agreed that productivity in school matters have been affected with the use of internet and the remaining 10% answered no that internet affects the students’ productivity. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 13 As presented college students lend a lot of time using the internet. For the purpose of this paper, these questions were asked for the researchers to know if the internet influences the college students with their school matters. The results show that internet affects the study habits and the productivity concerning school matters. Despite all the benefits and advantages of the internet the researchers discovered that the internet leads the students to be lazier and procrastinate in their school works. College students also become more dependent because of the easy access to the internet. The internet also becomes a distraction to the studies of the college students for they can do whatever they want at anytime. However, some college students assert that the internet is a good contributor in their studies and can easily disseminate information without costing a lot and is a very convenient tool to communicate regarding school matters. The effects of internet in college students’ study habit yields to both positive and negative inferences. The guidance counselor claims that positively by the use of internet, students can do extensive researches at home and in school, as well as assignments can be taken seriously because college students visualize that internet was a helping tool and other school work can be accomplished on-time (E. Esquejo, personal communication, February 16, 2015). Also based on the research of Thomas (2014) the internet has implications for both cognitive and social development of children who get hooked on their computers (Thomas, 2014). The negative side of the internet if the students used it not with appropriate time which became excessive because it might affect the school works of the students and would not be able to COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 14 accomplished the to do list of students (E. Esquejo, personal communication, February 16,2015). Moreover, with the minimum amount of adult supervision the internet became negative in the eye of people due to students may abuse the internet and cannot control their curiosity. Next, the guidance counselor reported that the St. Scholastica’s College- Manila conducted seminars every year to the students to let the students be aware to the pros and cons of the internet and helps the students who suffer from too much use of internet (E. Esquejo, personal communication, February 16, 2015). Seminars such as the proper use of internet administered by Fr. Cuyos, an expert, he elaborated on how to protect the identity in social media sites and gave some tips such as change the settings of account to avoid hacking, are mindful on what should and should not be post and many more tips. Above all, the students have given counseling if they were observed as addict in computer by the guidance center and student’s affair office of St. Scholastica’s College. Furthermore, she asserted that with the presence and light of self- control and discipline, internet can be seen as an essential tool for college students because it guarantees a help in the school works of students, productivity will be easier for the students and relieve the stress by the entertainment that internet provides (E. Esquejo, personal communication, February 16, 2015). Lastly, in her conclusion internet was intended to do only good things for the students but since college students has the right to choose and competence enough they use the internet in wrong manner as per time was involved. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 15 Conclusion The research suggests that the development of modern technologies over the decades created an indelible mark to the lives of college students. The internet is continually advancing to fulfill the needs of the college students specifically in education and recreation purposes. The group found out that internet is considered a highly recommendable tool to aid the students for learning but with excessive time that students allotted in front of the computer screens the behavior of the students particularly in the productivity have been affected. The researchers conclude that internet was made with good intentions for the students by providing easy and quick access, convenience in searching and serves as a medium for modern communication to the students. Hence, these intentions have been distorted by the negative effects, implications and comments of the people in Internet such as internet hampers the study habits of students; it provides unnecessary information and other negative commentaries. Furthermore, the traditional people want to abandon the internet access due to the fact that they accomplished their aspirations and objectives without the presence of internet. The researchers identify the internet as a necessity to the college students for development and improvement of the skill and knowledge as students shape the future. However, the excessive time allotment and insufficient amount of adult supervision influences the college students badly with the use of internet. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 16 This study contributes to understanding what is the real meaning and effects of internet to the college students. As college students concerned in the influences of the internet and found that it provides a great amount of benefits, the researchers partake to pledge that internet will be used in all means of good, today and in the future. Ultimately, the American business magnate Bill Gates concludes “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow” (as cited in Sharma, 2013, p. 32). COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 17 References Baker, E. (2010). The new literacies multiple perspective on research and practice. New York, N.Y.: Guilford Publications Brock Macdonald, W. (n.d.). Research using the internet. Retrieved from: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/research-using-internet Jones, S. (2002). The internet goes to college: How students are living in the future with today’s technology. Retrieved from: http://www.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=FBtcMsRcRdwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA 1&dq=students+internet+research+paper&ots=ReOHjqjOcf&sig=FQax09EnbC6k sw_AHsebCwftdJg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=students%20internet%20resear ch%20paper&f=false Jones, S., Yale, C., Millermaier, S. & Perez, F. (2009). Everyday life, online: U.S. college students’ use of the internet. Retrieved from: http://firstmonday.org/article/view/2649/2301 O’Hara, S. & Pritchard, R. (2010, April 30). What is the impact of technology on learning? Retrieved from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/what-impact-technology-learning. Safdar, M., Mahmood, K. & Qutab, S. (2010, May). Internet use behavior and attitude of college students: A survey of leadership colleges’ network. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1379&context=libphilpr ac. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNET 18 Sharma, A. (2013). The great books of best quotes of all time. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/2436293/The_Great_Book_Of_Best_Quotes_Of_All_Ti me Sponcil, M. & Gitimu, P. (n.d.). Use of social media by college students: Relationship to communication and self-concept. Retrieved from: http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/121214.pdf. Thomas, J. (2014). How do computers affect the social behavior of children? Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/500288-how-do-computers-affect-the-social-behavior-of-children/ Wilson, S. (2007). The influence of technology on college students values. Retrieved from: http://studentsaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall/2007/influenceofTechnologyonCollegestu dents Values.html. Read More