Kira Munoz is a selfproclaimed ‘super-texter.’ A college junior with a full plate – she’s a residence hall community adviser, is cofounder of the Alverno chapter of Hip Hop Congress, and has a 17-credit course load and an internship – she often doesn’t have as much face time with family and friends as she would like. As such, it’s more convenient to contact people via e-mail or text message, especially when setting up a meeting with more than one person.“If I’m trying to get a group together, I can e-mail eight people to see who can make it and who can’t. That would take a lot longer if I had to call every person,” she said. This also applies to Facebook, says Munoz, who uses the site to socialize with friends, but also finds it a useful tool for coordinating events.

Munoz admits she’s not much for talking on the phone, so instead, she regularly texts friends. Since her cell phone plan allows for unlimited texting, it makes it all the more appealing. It’s also the preferred medium for many of her peers, however, she also relies on the phone and e-mail.
“I do think it depends on the situation. Sometimes it’s easier to just pick up the phone, but other times, it’s easier to text,” she said. “If I need to get in touch with one of my teachers and I’m off campus, it’s just easier to call or e-mail them,” she said. “The campus might be closed and that’s the best way to reach them.”

The use of technology is also very much a part of the classroom experience, Munoz said. Professors often steer students to specific Web sites as sources for material reference, and they can utilize sites like JStor or Project Muse to access thousands of academic journals. Pop culture, too, finds its way into the classroom as it can foray into discussion about a particular
topic.

“I’ve noticed people are talking more about popular movies or TV shows and it relates to what’s going on in class,” she said. “A lot of times, the professor will use an example from a movie, and people will say, ‘I know exactly what that’s like’.”

While technology and pop culture remain fully engrained in the mainstream, Munoz has her concerns about how “fast” the world is becoming, especially in terms of how people connect to one another.

“I think people are going to become less patient as technology becomes more and more quick. People want things right away,” she said. “It’s going to be progress for communication overall, but people are going to have less and less interpersonal communication skills. I think there should be more classes that focus on interpersonal communication.” — Shelly Nelson