Unit 84
　　Mobile Culture on Campus
　　Mobile phone are becoming commonplace in college classrooms. The hush-hush chitchat between backbenchers is gradually being replaced by whispered phone conversations and SMS chats. Hip and convenient, they are used for everything from playing games to planning a sudden outing.
　　Most teachers and students agree that cell phones interfere with the teaching process. Professors find it difficult to command attention and encourage participation if students receive calls during class. It upsets the rhythm of the class. Colleges have responded in different ways. Some have banned mobile phones on the campus. Others request the students to switch off their mobiles on entering the teaching premises. Students can use their cell phone in the canteen or the common room. But if professors find them using cell phones during lectures, they can confiscate the phone and demand a fine. Most students agree that cells can be very distracting during a lecture.
　　Some students claim that cells are almost a necessity. This holds good for colleges that do not have a good telephone network. In such a situation, it would be difficult for parents to contact their children and a mobile is very useful, almost necessary. Anxious parents can monitor their activities and remind them not to stay out too late. Students, expectedly, aren't happy about this "constant nagging". They think some parents are just panicky.
　　Besides calls and SMS, cell phones help relieve boredom. If they are bored, they can play a few games on the mobile. Students also use their mobiles creatively to make sudden plans. They decide on codes, like one ring means "I'll meet you", two rings mean "I can't make it". The idea is to avoid the expenses of a call or an SMS.
　　The mobile is not just a communication tool. It is also a fashion accessory. Possessing the hottest models with fancy features, trendy ring tones and covers are considered "cool". Some professors fear this craze could breed snobbishness. They fear that some students carry these mobiles just to show off that they have the latest gadgets. It is like a status symbol with some students. Many students feel that a mobile is no longer a luxury, and they just keep up with the Joneses. A psychology student says: "Now even the vendors on the road have mobiles."
　　Here is where the model of the phone matters. Many show off the latest and costliest gadgets. "The model of your phone reveals how deep your Dad's pocket is," one student says. As a result, students who don't carry a phone or own an outdated piece feel left out, especially when their friends kept messaging each other.