Kiersten Baughman said it can be difficult to keep students’ focus when she teaches a class.
“As professors, it is hard to get our students attention away from computers, iPads, cell phones and anything tech related,” Baughman said.
Convenience is one of the reasons Baughman said millennials are attached to their phones. It makes connecting with people easier and instant.
“People are missing what is going on right in front of them because they are addicted to their cell phones,” Baughman said.
She said the need to be plugged in constantly is causing harm to the structure of people's brains because they are not able to form memories as fast, since they are not experiencing the moment.
Sophomore math education major Emily Ferre said while she carries her phone on her all the time, she doesn’t feel the need to always be on it in social settings. She said some people always need to know what is going on.
“They are afraid of missing something,” Ferre said. “They feel like everybody else’s business is theirs and if they don’t know what is going on then they’re behind.”
An app called Flashgap will help people be more involved in whatever party or social situation they are attending, said Julian Kabab, the app’s chief executive officer.
Flashgap is a time-delayed photo-sharing app launched in December 2014 in France, and recently in the United States - September 2015.
It allows users to create a photo album, which they can invite friends to join. A timer begins and all photos taken on their phones from then on disappear for the night. The album is revealed the next day, and includes all the pictures taken the previous night.
The founders were inspired after observing how the behavior of millennials had changed while they were out partying. Kebab said they saw people taking selfies and adding filters to them, not enjoying the party.
“I once saw two girls trying to do the perfect selfie of themselves for 25 minutes at a party. 25 minutes for one picture,” Kabab wrote in an email.
The company conducted a study on its users, generating 2,900 responses, and concluded that millennials are more antisocial than ever at social events. Kebab said he wasn’t too surprised by the results, as apps and social networks are based on instant delivery, making them more addictive.
“We are becoming less and less social and don't really enjoy our nights out with our friends that much anymore,” he said.
Kabab said the app is a good solution for millennials who want to live in the moment.
“People shouldn't be so focused on their phones and on social networks when they're out,” he said. “They're missing out on their parties, and on amazing memories they could have with their friends.”
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