All Internet hype aside, informal survey finds many college students blase about preparing for the new wired world

HOBOKEN, N.J. — An informal survey conducted by students at Stevens Institute of Technology has found that, all Internet hype aside, many college students really aren’t that concerned about staying up to date with technology for their lives and careers in the new century. Most, the Stevens students found, are surprisingly blase about being technologically well-prepared, instead relying on friends, co-workers or employers to teach them as they go along.

The survey, part of a class assignment, found that college students aren’t sweating the details in preparing for the "New Economy" of wireless communication, e-commerce, and instantaneous communication. The students who conducted the survey were a group of freshmen and sophomores at Stevens who were assigned the task of interviewing friends at other colleges over the Thanksgiving break, particularly fellow students majoring in non-technical fields, about whether they thought they would need to have technological knowledge and skills in the future.

Many interviewees said they simply weren’t concerned about being technologically proficient. They figured they’d rely on other people, such as employers or their friends. Some thought that if they needed to learn something, it would probably be easy anyway.

Joseph Marques, one of the Stevens students who conducted the interviews, concluded: "Things are changing so rapidly that it is hard to keep up, but I am certain I will not be one of the ones left behind. I just hope my friends can keep up too."

Dr. Silvio Laccetti, professor of urban studies and history at Stevens, assigned the Thanksgiving-break paper to his Humanities 107 class, "Sources of Modern Civilization." The class, which is required for all Stevens undergraduates, covers topics from the Industrial Revolution to preparing for the 21st century.

"I think my students were fairly shocked by what they heard. They really understand the problems inherent in a society that is not technologically literate but yet immersed in a technological world," Laccetti said. "A Stevens education emphasizes being well-versed in the sciences, technology and the humanities — well-rounded in all respects."

Note: To schedule an interview with Dr. Laccetti and some of his students on this topic, please contact Cass Bruton-Ward at the number listed above.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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