Cellular Complications

In today’s day and age, students are surrounded by constant growth and advancement in the latest technology. Every few months, Apple releases a new product, such as the recent iPhone X. As our technological world advances, our attachment to technology increases. However, in this fast-paced iPhone-centric world, school is not the appropriate place to have our phones out if it is not for educational purposes.

The most obvious reason that students should not be allowed to stare at their screens in class is the distractions it will cause. In a quiet classroom, the sound of one notification is already enough to set some people’s minds off the task at hand. By openly allowing cell phones in class, however, phones will be “buzzing” and “dinging” every few minutes which will distract the students who are trying to focus in class. Even if the phone is on silent, if it is allowed in class, students may still feel the urge to check their phone constantly.

The excessive use of cellphones by students can also distract the teacher. When the teacher is presenting or lecturing in front of the class, the last thing he or she wants to hear is a text message alert coming from a student’s phone. The use of phones in class can throw the teacher off course from what they have prepared for class, leaving the teacher unconcentrated.

With students’ eyes fixed on their screens, the use of phones can seem disrespectful. Teachers work tireless hours to try and prepare their lessons, but when a room is full of students tapping away on their phone screens, The teacher may view this as a lack of respect.

The habit of one constantly checking his or her phone can also affect the his or her’s education. A Centre for Economic Performance Study in 2015 showed that following the phone ban, students’ test scores improved 6.41 percent. By implementing a phone ban, students would be much more focused on their education and on improving their test scores, than worrying about the next picture they should post on Instagram.

Phones have also shown to be detrimental to teenagers’ health. According to a 2017 Psychological Clinical Science Study, children between the ages 13 to 18 with phones showed more signs of depression, since many of these teenagers feel that they are glued to their phones and interact with the people around them less. Therefore, students should put down the phone and focus on their surroundings.