Texting in school- a distraction or beneficial?
At most schools, cell phones are said to be a major influence on a students’ grades and participation. But, as of late some schools are letting their students use cell phones at lunch and sometimes even for educational purposes. WHBHS’s policy on cell phones is “out of sight, out of mind.”
The Financial Express reports that one third of students with cell phones text at least 100 times a day- which would mean that about 700 out of 900 kids in our school text daily. And, more than 69% of American high schools have banned phones due to the fact that they disturb the educational process.
At WHBHS as soon as they are seen, they are taken away. Senior Kira Cummings adds, “Phones are technology. They’re distracting but every student has a laptop which is just as distracting.”
Phones can be distracting, but they are also beneficial. If you need to get in touch with your parents quickly, or remind a friend about a test, that message is just a text away. If you leave something at home, shooting your parents a text is more efficient than going to the bathroom to call and hoping you don’t get caught.
At schools with a relaxed policy with cell phones, the urge to use them during class time disappears. If we could text in between classes, in lunch, or in study hall, then why not do it there instead of wasting class time? Sophomore Jessica Baltar said, “We’re in school for so long that we need a sense of freedom, and texting gives us that.”
At WHBHS, since phones are immediately taken away as soon as they are in sight, kids are urged even more to text in school. Sophomore Marissa Holfester said, “When my friends text me throughout the day it urges me to text, but it becomes stressful when you know your phone can be taken away at any moment.” Avalon Vanderslice also added that phones are getting more addictive, calling her blackberry a “crack-berry.”
According to St. Petersburg times, students at Wilbur County High School in Tampa are not only allowed to use their phones, but they are encouraged. Students use their phones to take pictures for projects, calculate math problems, check their teachers’ blogs and even take notes. Of course, some students misuse the privilege but overall the students use their cell phones at this school for beneficial reasons. To keep kids in check, they even have firewalls and filters set up to discourage getting off-track. Plus, tasks get done immediately when everything is hand-held, which means more time to learn.
One school has taken another approach. MSNBC.com stated that instead of allowing texting, more than 100 students at Wilbur Cross County High School in New Haven were suspended for texting during class. The school’s total ban of phones is one way some would fix this problem in the debate of school texting across the country. Their compromise is allowing phones during lunch, and also teachers can allow class usage.
We urge WHB to consider a more relaxed policy on cell phones; students and faculty would be faced with less frustration. We are already accustomed to laptops, why not use another resource that’s at the touch of our fingertips?