Cell Phones in High School

The world is a global village, and technology has become increasingly important in people’s lives, particularly among millennials. The debate over whether or not cell phones should be allowed in high school is raging, with both positive and negative consequences for teenagers. Despite the benefits of using a cell phone in high school, the disadvantages appear to outweigh the benefits. As a result, it is the government’s responsibility to enforce governing rules and regulations regarding the use of phones in educational institutions, where parents and teachers must ensure that students adhere to the established guidelines, and if they do not, sanctions will be imposed. The use of mobile phones in high school should not be allowed because they interfere with proper concentration and learning. They lead to distractions in the classroom during the learning process because of their extended usage possibilities at any time during the lessons continuation. Most students are irresponsible and use their mobile phones recklessly even before break times. They miss the significant part of what the teacher has taught during the lesson, which is one of the reasons for poor performance. Mobile phones have motivated laziness among students; hence, the cheating levels in the examination rooms have increased (John and Coffey 43). The failure to revise before the examination period raises the reluctance of many students, and thus, they opt to google for answers as the tests proceed. They eventually receive nothing and spend time in school not acquiring the relevant skills but completing their learning course.

Mobile phones are a source of evils and immorality in the school where students create groups in which they engage in dangerous behaviors. It is a platform that instills terrible morals and peer pressure, for example, committing adultery at a young age. The media has contributed to school dropouts and early pregnancies in the school-going students (Engel, George and Tim Green 39). The use of phones, however, has also led to drug abuse and poor habits as the young people try to emulate the behaviors of the celebrities. It has encouraged the negative attitudes towards education among students where they do not regard the role of education in their life progress, and to them, it is not the way out for a bright future. Its excessive usage has increased the ignorance of privacy at school and in the society as a whole, where students do not know what is confidential and personal. It drifts their minds during the coursework by imputing their time and efforts on unnecessary things.

There is an increase in depression and suicidal intentions among young people in high school due to the wrong interpretation of things they access on the media forums through their mobile phones. Poor management tendencies have led to students’ exposure to stress caused by break-ups on the phone via text messages and phone calls. High schools students like to seek attention from others and want the approval from their colleagues for their good looks. Following the trend and the entertainment is a priority, and they become distressed when someone, especially a person they love, would text them a dislike message (Engel, George and Tim Green 39). Their survival and happiness lie around other people’s perception of them; it the latter is negative, they become annoyed and think of committing suicide. Students are happy when everyone around them recognizes their presence and positive sides. They want to be nurtured, loved and cared for, and would hence try to appear reasonable to others. They want to please their boyfriends and girlfriends through text messages as such adolescents become mad because of the late text reply.

Students in school have become phone fanatics, which is one of the reasons for poor performance in class. The prolonged usage of phones is a habit that drifts students’ attention and alertness. Most of them spend their time checking for online updates in WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other media platforms. It results in the wastage of time as they need to follow what is trending around the globe (John and Coffey 45). They focus on and value posting their status quo to share with others about what is happening in their lives, which serves as the reason for inadequate time to do some school work. Phone calls can disrupt other students’ learning when some phones are ringing in the classroom. As well, students spread information through their phones in class, and this can discourage others when they have no information about what is happening. They use mobile phones in the wrong way through passing irrelevant texts and photos and making gossips, which make others the laughing stock in the school. It subjects the concerned students to shame and the lack of concentration where most may miss classes and be expelled from school due to such reasons.

On the other hand, the use of phones has a positive impact on students in high school. They are essential for safety purposes where one can access the phone to make a call back home when in danger. In case something is wrong, one can contact someone at any time to seek help when things are not running as expected. Many students call their parents when something interferes with their lateness to come home, which could be a result of technical problems or other activities in school. It is essential because parents can wait at home peacefully because they are aware of their children’s whereabouts and the reason for their lateness. The technology gadgets are effective for use during emergencies to receive a quick response from parents or the closest and available people. It is necessary as it helps avoid accidents that could have occurred as a result of a late response. Most parents use mobile trackers to follow their children’s location when they are not aware of their whereabouts (Bethany and Fletcher 161). Mobile gadgets can help parents know whether their children are in the wrong places or engaging in the illegal acts, hence preventing further damage that could occur as an outcome.

Cell phones are efficient research tools in group discussions and completing the given assignments in class. They offer a wide variety of information from different websites where one can acquire more skills and knowledge in doing a given task (Bethany and Fletcher 170). It assists students in acquiring diverse experience, necessary for its application in the daily activities in class and other social events. They enable students to read and do personal studies when they have no access to the library or the needed learning materials. It makes their work easy because one can obtain the required information on the Internet at any given time and place.

A student can reach their parents in case they left a critical tool needed for learning. Contacting a parent can help reduce time wastage because they can bring the required stuff in the school instead of a student going back home for it. It thus reduces the chances of unnecessary movements of students in and out of school unless it is inevitable. Besides, some students who do not use the school bus can contact their parents after school or when they are late to pick them after classes (Bethany and Fletcher 175). It helps to prevent students from being confused or stuck around the school as they can reach people to obtain precise information on their next move.

Parenting should involve control and guidance on children’s habits concerning mobile phones to ensure a proper upbringing and good behavior at school. The society has a prominent role to play to ensure that the next generation is composed of responsible members and leaders who will act as role models in the community. Moreover, the use of phones for as linked with adverse health problems like cancer and heart diseases, which is one more reason why the phone-related behavior should be dictated. Therefore, cell phones should be banned entirely or there should be stringent rules and guidelines that all students must obey during their stay in high school.

Work Cited

Blair, Bethany L., and Anne C. Fletcher. “The Only 13-year-old on Planet Earth without a Cellphone: Meanings of Cellphones in Early Adolescents’ Everyday Lives.” Journal of Adolescent Research, vol. 26, no. 2, 2011, pp. 155-177.

Engel, George, and Tim Green. “Cell Phones in the Classroom: Are we Dialing up Disaster?” Tech Trends, vol. 55, no. 2, 2011, pp. 39.

Obringer, S. John, and Kent Coffey. “Cell Phones in American High Schools: A National Survey.” Journal of Technology Studies, vol. 33, no. 1, 2007, pp. 41-47.