Cell phones on campus make cutting the umbilical cord more difficult

The Olymian reports on how College kids and their parents are not letting go, as the connect through cell phones.

"... Cell phones are a godsend for parents of high schoolers. The "electronic leash," as some teens call it, assures that the kids have little excuse for not informing parents of their whereabouts. And mom and dad are quickly reachable if something goes awry.

But young adults in college are supposed to practice and prove their independence. All that contact, used the wrong way, can impede those goals, student affairs experts say.

"One mom mentioned that she calls her son to wake him up in the morning," said Sandy Waddell, assistant dean of students at Rockhurst University. "She said if she didn't, he might not make it to class. I told her I thought that was a bit over the top."

The cell phone no doubt can be a conduit in a close parent-child relationship. One thing is certain: Everyday contact between young adults and their parents is the new normal.

... In a study released earlier this year by the Pew Research Center, 82 percent of all 18- to 25-year-olds said they had talked to their parents in the past day."

emily | 8:30 AM | SMS and Students |
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