Students at Prairie High School have been struggling with their usage of phones in classrooms. The tolerance of phones in classrooms has been a debated issue for many years now. These devices allow our students to have a large scale of access to information and many different learning tools, but they are also the main source of distractions as well as interrupting learning time. Many teachers and administrators have trouble keeping students off their phones and paying attention in class as they get distracted by social media, texting, video games, and other notifications that cause them to want to grab their phones.
The impact that phones have on students and just people in general is a problem, even when they aren’t using it, just the sound or feeling of their phones vibrating tempts them to use it. Multiple students have exclaimed that just being in the presence of their phone tempts and distracts them from paying attention in class. Daphne Dirks, a senior, says that she does feel tempted to check her phone during class, “I feel like I need to grab my phone and check it when it buzzes, I feel anxious the longer I try waiting,” Dirks says, “Because I want to see who it is or if something important happened.” Not only is it just a distraction in class but also during studying and homework time, which could cause students to flunk their tests or not get any late work done.
Not only are phones a source of distraction but they could also be used for group chats, cyberbullying, and online drama that could be brought into classrooms. There are many negatives with the use of cell phones and they could cause people to develop poor communication skills and become more isolated if they are on their phones for long periods of time daily and choosing to be on their phones rather than engage with others. Many students have claimed that their phone does distract them a lot during classes. Trinity Cates, a senior, says that her phone does make it harder for her to pay attention in class, “Even when I’m not on my phone I think about checking it, especially if I get a notification,” Cates exclaims, “It makes me want to check it even more and since I’m already on it I’m tempted to check social media too.”
Even though there are many issues with phones, some people disagree and think that phones can be beneficial if they are used properly and responsibly. They could be used for useful research, educational apps and videos, learning tools, and other things that could really benefit students. Schools are still finding different ways to navigate their way through this issue, but phone use will most likely always be a concern and problem in classrooms for students, parents, and educators.
