Phones in Schools

It is well known that cell phones can cause many problems in and out of school. Previously teachers have had the opportunity to tell their students to place their phones in “phone pockets” near the door. Some teachers have elected to do this, and it has been quite helpful in preventing phone use during class; however, a total ban on phones in school would eliminate all useful features. I use my cell phone to aid in math as there are applications that can take a problem, find the solution, and show the steps to arrive there. I am also constantly using my phone for communication, with my teammates, friends, and family members. Just think, if we weren’t allowed to use cell phones at school to tell one of our parents that our afterschool plans had changed, we would need to go to the office and ask to use one of their phones. 

Social media is a huge contributor to anxiety and depression. If we could block social media on school networks, as well as bring awareness to the downsides of social media, we could achieve the same results as a total ban on cell phones in school, while still maintaining the benefits of phones. Research conducted by ABC.Net found that “When 60% of teens see even their friend at the beach with their family, they feel like their life isn’t good enough, which can lead to depression, stress, and anxiety.” If schools could tackle this problem in a way that didn’t affect our lives so drastically, many other issues that stem from social media could be lessened.