Essay On The Pros And Cons Of Cellphones In School

Research indicated that in 2020 Apple sold 15 million iPhones to consumers in the United States. Nowadays almost everyone has a cell phone with them at all times. Therefore, more and more adolescents and children are bringing their phones to school. Allowing cell phones in school has both its pros and cons. 

Cellphones at schools can have many benefits to a student’s education and safety. According to “Debating the Use of Digital Devices in the Classroom'' The Editorial Team reports '' If a teacher uses a term they don’t understand, they can find the answer discretely, and without interrupting the class,” Through phones, children and adolescents have access to the internet. This can be a helpful tool as it provides more information about what they are learning. As a result, a man is able to broaden his horizons. Phones also have apps that serve as notepads or as an alarm for study reminders. This can help improve a students’ test scores and grades. Furthermore, in the article “How to Deal with Cell Phones in School” Nancy Barile wrote, “Most schools allow students to have cell phones for safety, which seems unlikely to change as long as school shootings remain a common occurrence.” During a school lockdown, many rumors spread across social media making parents worried over their child’s life. With cell phones, students are able to contact their parents and reassure them that they are safe. Students are also able to give emergency responders directions and reports on what is going on through their cell phones. The pros of cell phones can heavily impact a scholars’ life.

On the other hand, phones can negatively impact a students’ ability to learn and their interaction with peers. In the text “How Phones Ruin Concentration” Rachel Ehmke states, “How bad could it really be? Pretty bad, according to a recent study that found the mere presence of a smartphone reduces a person’s ability to focus. In the study, undergraduates asked to leave their phones in another room did better on cognitive tests than those who were asked to silence their phones and leave them face down on their desk or in a bag.” When students have their phones with them in class, they tend to have the urge to scroll through social media, their messages, and the internet. They focus more on what is on their cell phone than on paying attention to what the teacher is saying. Consequently, students receive lower grades. Not only does a cell phone affect a student’s report card, but it also causes an increase in cyberbullying. According to the article “Cyberbullying”, Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph wrote, “Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Online threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, tweets, posts, or messages all count. So does posting personal information, pictures, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone else.” Students who are able to take their phones to class have the opportunity to take pictures and videos of their peers and post it on the internet with a mean comment underneath. It is harder to attack someone in-person than through social media. People don’t feel as guilty and can block others when hearing negative feedback from them after making an attack towards someone or something. The impact of the cons of phones in the classroom can hurt not only the person that possesses the phone, but also the people around them. 

In conclusion, cell phones in school can negatively and positively impact a student’s life when pursuing an education. People must consider both the pros and cons when deciding if we should ban phones in school. Ray Kurzweil once said, “Mobile phones are misnamed. They should be called gateways to human knowledge.”