“It’s silent, but there’s so many people,” MiKaye said. 

Gone are the days of twiddling thumbs and glancing around in moments of nothingness. Now, the norm is scrolling to pass the time. Advertising Management freshman Tessa Masengale has taken similar observations not only in the classroom, but on the bus and in dining halls as well. 

“No one wants to sit next to you or try to talk to you, they just have their AirPods in and they’re looking down at their phones,” Masengale said. “They’re not looking to be social or looking to make friends.”

Masengale said that Gen Z generally struggles with in person communication more than previous generations have and tend to be more anxious in social situations. MiKaye said that phones can serve as a safety blanket in those moments.

Drawing on the experiences of siblings, Masengale said that this is not an issue exclusive to college campuses. It can be hard for younger generations to separate devices from social interactions when they have been an integral part of their upbringing.

“My little sisters have a harder time making friends,” Masengale said. “They don’t want to hang out with their friends, they want to be on Roblox or talk to their friends online.”

Biochemistry freshman Oliver Tarach said that there are many positives to phone and social media use among college students, such as learning more about campus events or connecting with people in similar online spaces. However, Tarach said that online conversations should not be substitutes for in-person conversations.

“There’s so much you miss out on,” Tarach said. “In-person is my way to go because it’s hard to read people’s tones and intentions behind a text.”

Body language is half of the conversation. Without much face-to-face conversation, Tarach said that people fail to learn proper navigation and skills in communication.

“If you make a comment in front of a group and somebody reclines or flinches then you know that you made them uncomfortable,” Tarach said. “Even just being able to hear somebody laugh, you miss out on that being behind a phone.”

The rise of AI has increased reliance on cell phones, MiKaye said. Nobody wants to be proven wrong, so having a message’s contents verified prior to hitting send removes the risk of potential embarrassment.

“It seems easier to (have conversations) online versus face to face, and with AI we can check what we say,” MiKaye said.

Masengale said that this increased reliance on cell phones and avoidance of in-person connections can create lasting problems that could continue to affect students throughout their professional lives. If a student does not take risks in talking to new people, they could be less likely to take risks to further their careers.

“For a lot of jobs you have to talk to new people and meet new people, but I think it could be hard for people to be willing or to be ambitious and go for bigger things,” Masengale said. 

Tarach said that phones aren’t necessarily a deterrent when it comes to meeting new people, often encouraging others to put their phones down briefly to get to know them.

“I wish that people would be a little less afraid to approach people,” Tarach said. “That’s what I’ve been doing since I got (to MSU) and people seem to be shocked when you actually interact with them.”

Communication isn’t hard, but it can be perceived that way. Don’t be afraid to live offline in the seemingly boring moments. The next time you get the urge to mindlessly before a lecture, consider breaking out of your shell and introducing yourself to the people around you. You never know who’s also searching for new connections.