Mixed Signals: The Effects of Cell Phones on College Student Involvement

American college students lead the United States of America in cell phone use. This study utilized a phenomenological qualitative methodology to learn the lived experience of college student cell phone users and the effects of cell phones on co-curricular learning, per Alexander Astin’s (1986) theory of involvement. The rapid rise and evolution of the cell phone impacts student behavior and learning. The results of the study indicated that cell phones promote student participation with peers and on-campus programs, but are unlikely to affect involvement with faculty or staff. Experientially, participants were critical of their peers’ cell phone behavior, feared missing out, and favored face-to-face to communication in almost all contexts. Nevertheless, participants perceived cell phones mostly positively, even though they described the devices’ undesired effects most frequently, believing cell phones are necessary to stay socially connected and informed during college