It was a day like any other in my Biology lecture, and the dreariness of Monday morning hung in the air. In the crowded, muggy room uncomfortable students were fidgeting and whispering, ready to escape their responsibilities and enjoy a few moments of freedom before heading to their next classes.

Then it happened. I accidentally pushed the unmute button on a pop-up advertisement in my mindless phone game. A loud song blared around the classroom, and in my terror, I tapped the screen many times to turn off the volume, instead of muting and unmuting it three times before I finally was able to cut it off. Everyone in the room stared, and though my professor glanced my way derisively, he continued as if nothing happened.

I am a respectful, good student, who consistently gets good grades and strives to be as kind and helpful as possible to my teachers. My biology professor is a funny guy and great lecturer. So why was I fiddling with my gadget during class?

Somewhere along the way, it has become socially acceptable to scroll through Facebook while your friends and family talk to you. Somehow, texting at the dinner table and streaming a movie at the same time has become normal. Most amazingly, somehow texting, tapping, scrolling, and streaming during lectures has become so common that most professors don’t even bat an eye in your direction. Almost every day in one or more of my classes, someone accidentally opens a video Snapchat without muting their media volume. Someone is fooled by an ad and loud music blares across the classroom. Every single time this happens, it never fails to disappoint your lecturers. You can see it in their eyes.

This is not about the evils of technology. Technology is amazing and wonderful, and in no way am I implying that you should leave your phone at home.

This is about respect. Yes, we pay to attend those courses. Yes, we don’t really want to be there but need the credit. Yes, sometimes school just plain sucks. Sometimes professors are boring and disappointing. Sometimes the whole class is a joke and you don’t even want to be on the good side of the sorry excuse appointed professor. However, none of those things mean that you can’t afford them basic decency. Especially in those cases where we genuinely enjoy our lectures, why can’t we disconnect? Why did I find the urge to play Mahjong while I listened so insurmountable?

The harsh reality is that being disconnected during class is as simple as storing away your devices. If we can’t for fifty minutes, what are we? Where is our self-discipline? So much happiness in life is dependent on one’s ability to avoid over-indulgence. There is such a thing as too much entertainment.

Even when our phones DON’T go off, even when they are as silent as mice, teachers still can see your obvious disinterest. Professors don’t get paid for the time they spend grading, the time they spend planning lessons, the time they spend brainstorming to make their classes better. Why should they even try, when we refuse to meet them halfway. How insulting would it be if you were trying to help someone to the best of your abilities and they never once even looked at you the whole time you struggled to capture their attention?

This is the daily struggle of a professor. It’s no wonder why so many classes turn out disappointing. Our response to even the most positive of lectures is discouraging, to say the least. This cycle of uncaring, unprofessional behavior has gotten out of hand. Yes, we are mildly more entertained than we were before, but at what cost? I know for a fact that many of us could play Mahjong every day of class and still get an A, but sometimes our grade isn’t all that matters. Sometimes caring matters, even when it’s muggy and uncomfortable. Caring matters even when you have to think of something to make for dinner and want to get on Pinterest. Caring matters when your boyfriend texts you during class. All those things can wait, but you can never get back that moment when you insult someone by not caring.

It’s already too late by the time you glance down while someone is speaking to you.