Wilkes University researchers performed a study that found nine out of 10 students text during class, and nearly half claim to do so undetected.

What horrifies professors even more is that 10 percent of students admitted to using their cell phones during exams and 3 percent admitted to using them to cheat.

I’m not going to lie and say that I’ve never used a cell phone in class. I really don’t know many people who have truly never texted during class. But too much of a good thing can become a bad thing and begin to take away from things like hearing a lecture you really need or a review for the next exam. Many of my professors have taken the following philosophy about texting: you or your parents are paying a lot of money for you to sit here, so pay attention to the lecture and learn. None of this can be fully achieved while texting.

It’s very hard to deny that texting is a distracting activity or that you need to focus on the conversation you’re having rather than what’s going on in the classroom. This, of course, gives credence to the sentiment my professors have that you’re wasting money by texting during a lecture.

Apart from that, there should be some level of respect students should have for their professors, especially when they are there to help students.

Texting during class is, simply put, disrespectful to your professors. They are here to help you learn, and by texting during their lectures, you’re showing them that you value messaging with friends far more than class participation.

We aren’t in high school anymore; professors here treat you with more respect, and that respect should be reciprocated rather than ignored.

Sometimes there is something important going on where you need to be in contact, but when that happens, doesn’t it make more sense to leave class to focus your energy on the crisis? Texting during class has far more negative effects than positive ones.

You’re not only being disrespectful, but also wasting money by not paying attention. It’s also a distraction to those around you who are trying to learn. You’re detracting from the learning environment, for which you pay so much money to create. So is it really worth it?

KC Aransen is a sophomore psychology major from Arlington.