A study from Common Sense Media says that 97% of students use their phones in school every day. Daily in schools across the country students are on their phones more than half of the day. Phones in schools produce mental isolation, diminish focus in the classroom, and potentially enforce cheating.
Ringing or vibrating cell phones can be a disruption in classes and distract students who should be paying attention to their lessons. Text messages could and have been used for cheating. Cell phones have been used to take pictures of exams, take pictures of students in restrooms or changing clothes in gym locker areas, and cyberbullying of students. Phone usage in school can lead to social isolation because students are too into their phones and not so much on their peers. It can be used as a mask to hide them from any form of social interaction. This could cause an increase in depression, anxiety, loneliness and much more. When they become lonely it then leads to using their phone to satisfy their relationships.
Phones vibrating and buzzing in the classroom can be a huge distraction for not only the students but the teachers as well. During class when the student is actively engaging in their phone, their focus is on what is going on in their phone and not what is being taught in the classroom. Although some students can potentially handle multi-tasking, their focus is still mostly on their phone. When you are actively studying or doing any work, it is very hard to not go on your phone if it buzzes or starts ringing, more times than usual you will go on your phone and forget about the work. Not only is it distracting to the owner of said phone, if someone is watching them on their phone, most likely they will get caught in the loop as well.
Students have the ability to cheat off of their phones in school. Although teachers prohibit having phones while taking a test, there are many ways that are possible to guide the ability of cheating in the classroom. Common sense Media reported again that, Thirty Five percent of teens admit to using their phones to cheat and 60% have seen others using their phone to cheat. Although some argue their phone helps them study and focus on their homework task. Therefore diminishing the focus on learning and completing things with the ability to not cheat. If the student has a phone in hand during a test, most likely, they are using said phone to either help them, or look up the answers. Going along with these ideas, students can communicate with their classmates about the test answers and or send pictures of said test.
Others argue that these are not valid reasons for not having phones in class or school. Cheating can cause you to fail a class or even worse. The overall end run for cheating is not worth it. Communicating with friends is a great reason to have phones in school, but at the same time, it demolishes the act of talking face to face with peers. Social interaction is crucial for mental health. If you are on your phone every hour of the day at school, you are not actively engaging with teachers or classmates at that time.
Phones are not worth your academic education or mental health. Therefore phones should not be allowed in MVHS, and or have certain restrictions enforcing not to have them during tests or more than half of the day.
