Essay about Should Electronic Devices Be Used in High School?

2010. The year Apple created iPads. The year where the entire world took a turn in favor of technology and the internet. The year we started asking ourselves, “How much screen time is too much?”, “Am I addicted to playing  fruit ninja?”, “Is FOMO a real thing?” Now, more than ten years later, a new question surrounding the invention of the century arises: “Should highschool students be allowed to have full control over their electronics and be able to use them whenever during class?” As a highschool student who has been using chrome books, laptops, and iPads throughout their entire school career, the answer is evident. No, students should not be able to use their technology whenever they want while in class. 

To start, high school students spend far too much time on screens in general. Enhancing the privilege to be able to use devices whenever will only result in the negative effects associated with screens. Studies have shown that almost 70% of teenagers spend over 5 hours on screens each day. More importantly, “nearly half  of teens who [...] spend five or more hours a day on screens said they had contemplated, planned or attempted suicide at least once.” (Carter) Clearly, the last thing high schoolers need is more screen time. Depression and suicide aren’t the only negative effects brought by to much technology, Katie Hafner, a New York Times author,  shares the experience of Annie, who, after texting too much, experienced painful thumb cramping that “could lead to temporary or permanent damage to the thumbs.”(Hafner) Speaking of permanent damage, even Harvard University author Debra Bradley has stated that “digital devices can interfere with everything from sleep to creativity.” Therefore, as seen in various examples and studies, allowing students to freely use their devices will result in nothing but negative outcomes.

Of course, health isn’t the only issue that revolves around the ability to use iPads in class. As a highschool student, let me confirm, cheating with the iPads is a very real thing. Just the other day, a new rule was brought upon us at school: Everyone using an iPad must lay it flat on the desk to make it easier for a teacher to see the screen of the device and possibly catch cheating. While the new rule did show some improvement, cheating is still a growing issue at school. In fact, using devices to cheat is a growing issue in schools all over the world. After staging a survey recently, results have shown that “Ninety-six percent of the respondents said cheating was a problem in their school”(Lucia), and “Sixty-four percent of the respondents admitted to cheating on a test.” Using an electronic device to avoid doing work or studying, is simply not fair to those who have worked hard to get good grades. And, while one may argue that some highschoolers will find a way to cheat the system without technology, websites such as Photomath and Sparknotes still make it much easier for teens to bypass doing schoolwork. Clearly, allowing students to use iPads without any regulation will increase the likelihood for a highschooler to cheat on an exam, test, worksheet, or assignment, and ultimately defeat the purpose of going to school to learn. 

However, it is obvious that technology can be a good thing within school systems, if used properly. To prevent students from spending too much time on devices, schools should set times where iPads are not allowed, to give students a break from screens. Also, teachers should take it upon themselves to lessen the amount of assignments they give students online. Now that most highschoolers are back full in person, it should be a lot easier to hand out paper assignments instead. Finally, school districts can also block certain websites or apps to help prevent cheating. For example, highschool students should not be allowed to use Google Translate, Photomath, or Sparknotes while in class. In the end, technology will still continue to be used in highschool classes, which is okay. However, high school students should not be allowed to use devices whenever they want without any restrictions because it is unhealthy and may result in some teenagers cheating their way through school.