Is it normal for university students to use their phones throughout class? Invited to speak at a university, Utsudo spent over two months preparing slides and rehearsing, only to hear from the professor on arrival that students scrolling their phones all class was the norm. During the talk, more than 80% of students kept their heads down on their phones, and some arrived late or ate breakfast. She sees this as disrespectful to speakers, and notes that the successful people she knows are mostly friendly, respectful and confident—respect is the key to opening good connections.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

Accepting an invitation to speak at a university

These are my thoughts after giving a talk at a university.

It started one day when I was napping and, half asleep, got a call from my agency asking if I’d be interested in speaking at a university. I didn’t think much of it—talks are a chance to promote myself—so I agreed.

As for preparing and overcoming my stage fright, I figured I’d worry about that closer to the date. Ha ha, anyway, I had over two months to prepare when I said yes.

(I’ve probably mentioned that I’m very bad at speaking in front of people, so talks are really tough for me.)

Anyway, I spent lots of time making slides and rehearsed the talk at home many times; each run took at least an hour and forty minutes. I put a great deal of time into preparing, and once I was familiar with the flow, I gradually overcame my nerves.

“Students these days are on their phones in class”

That day I arrived at the university and chatted with the professor who invited me.

At first everything was normal, then she suddenly said, “Students these days are on their phones in class.”

I was taken aback. “The whole class?”

She nodded seriously.

I was dumbfounded. “Is that normal?”

She looked uncomfortable and laughed awkwardly. “That’s how students attend class now. They scroll their phones as soon as they come in, and only look up now and then.”

Although I left university long ago, respect for teachers has always been ingrained in me. This was as unthinkable to me as a comet hitting the Earth.

When I was at university, even if people wanted to check their phones in class, they’d sneak a quick look and put it away. Now they just use them the whole class? What would that even look like? I couldn’t imagine it. How must the teacher lecturing up front feel?

Scrolling their phones the whole class! I wanted to ask those students: are you here to attend class or to use your phones? If you love your phones so much, just call in sick or skip class! Later I said this on a livestream, and a viewer replied, “Because there’s attendance.” Okay, I give up.

More than 80% of students heads-down on their phones

Anyway, class began.

Students trickled in (some more than thirty minutes late). As if that weren’t enough, some were eating breakfast, and I think more than 80% of them really did stare at their phones from start to finish. I can honestly say it was the most disrespected I’ve ever felt.

Luckily the professor had told me beforehand that phone scrolling was the norm; otherwise I’d have been crushed, wondering if my carefully prepared lesson was really that boring…

Because I was a bit annoyed, I deliberately called out things like “To all of you with your heads down on your phones” or “phone addicts,” but these students seemed to be in a trance, with no reaction at all. I hadn’t expected much interaction, but a pool of stagnant water was just too much.

They actually think using phones in class is “a matter of course.” I was truly stunned!

Respect is the key to good connections

Frankly, I think it’s extremely disrespectful to the speaker.

I can’t claim to be anything special, but anyone who can stand on stage and share their experience must have something worth learning to have earned that place. Yet these students attended class with that attitude. All they cared about was what affected their grades or the after-class worksheet; they didn’t care about anything else and were just killing time.

Honestly, I’ve noticed that the “successful people” I know share some traits: “friendly,” “respectful of others,” and “confident.” Whether or not their careers succeed, I think these traits are important for being a good person—especially “respect.”

If you want to begin a “good connection” with someone, one key to opening that possibility is “respect.” Imagine someone self-righteous who doesn’t know how to respect others—who would want to be their benefactor, partner or friend?

Next time, I’ll think twice about speaking

With a sigh, back to the talk.

This talk—two class periods—paid only NT$3,200, and I had to split it with my agency. Frankly, the effort and time I spent preparing far exceeded that meager sum.

I’d been looking forward to meeting young, energetic, hopeful students, but it turned out like this, which left me quite discouraged QQ Later my sister told me students at universities abroad are glued to their phones too, which made me feel a little better.

Still, next time I get a chance to give a talk, I’ll probably think twice.

Otherwise, I don’t know what all the time and energy I spent preparing was for. I might as well focus on my own media and let people who want to learn come to me—that would feel more rewarding.

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #214: That’s Because You Have a Chairman for a Father
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.