The Power of Phones in Schools

The Power of Phones in Schools

Texting in schools has been an issue for over a decade now.  Students are consumed by what is  provided to them by their phone.  Whether it is texting, playing games, news media. etc. a phone is argued to be the cause of failure in schools.  On average ages 13-17 send and receive about 3339 text messages per month; that is half the texts ages 18-24 send and receive.  That proves that there is some sort of a drive that pushes teens to always be in contact with the world. Parents are constantly buying phones for their children to make sure that they will be able to be contacted at any moment.  Parents don't consider the harm that a phone can do to a child.  Most teens spend most of their time on the phone after school; homework is not priority anymore.  Being connected to their friends becomes a priority. Cell phones are very powerful because they take away attention from what is important and what should be done. Considering decades ago and today student have become lazier which is causing their education and study ethic to slow down.  To prove my point, my mom studied physics and calculus in 6th grade.  Back then it was a norm for students to study subjects in middle school what we study in high school today.  I believe that technology plays a big role in the difference of  the level in education.  Even though the usage of cell phones is banned in schools phones are still being heavily used.  This means that the laws have little or no control over certain phone users/addicts.  

The article, Texting in the Classroom: Not Just a Distraction, states that phones are a distraction but they can also be used for educational purposes.  Cell phones have been evolving quickly.  Tools such as Reming, Poll Everywhere, Celly, and StudyBoost are beneficial for school.  I can dispute that by stating that on average these tools are not that popular therefore they are not often used.  The phone does more harm than good in schools.  It is true that person who uses a phone in school is likely to do worse than a person who doesn’t.  The abuse of phones by teenagers has grown in the last few years given the recent advance in technology.

I’m not saying that phones are a terrible invention.  Students can use phones for good purposes; such as staying in contact with parents or use it for educational purposes.  Phones are great for communication and connection but it would be an ideal if they were able to be controlled rather than it controlling us.  

Texting in the Classroom: Not Just a Distraction