Ramos 1
Julie Ramos
Ms. McMillan
High School English 3: per. 6
14 November 2011 I Can’t Live Without My Cell Phone Having cell phones on school campuses have not only complicated with the academic for the students, but have also brought distraction for the students capability of focusing on school work. School limit the usage of cell phones during school hours because cell phones are a distraction for the learning environment, contribute to the academic honesty policy, and can damage students’ brain. Due to the phone’s ability to make the lives of students easier, a sense of dependency is built around the device. School should ban phones during school hours because cell phones are a distraction for the learning environment, contribute to the academic honest policy, and can lead to possible dangers. Cell phone usage in school may argue that phones are helpful, in not only communication but in education as well, and can support students by giving them access of expanding their knowledge. In rebuttal, they can also disrupt classrooms by mobiles be put on vibrate. Also, when turned on, they serve as a security for parents because it gives them a pathway to contact the students in case of emergency and vice versa. Although, the following statements showing its convenience, there are many opposing views that render cell phones’ as inconvenient. There are landline in classrooms, which enable children to contact parents. In addition, parents can contact their child through the use of
Ramos 2 calling the main office; the office will notify them with a message. Moreover, when phones are placed on silence or vibrate, text messages can still be sent between one another. Thus, it makes them lose focus and hinders them from paying attention, succeeding, or learning. Cell phones deplete classrooms’ academic atmosphere, with its disruptive features; it lowers student’s standards and ability to concentrate or learn. Cell phones’ attractive features including texting and playing games encourage distractions. As a result, it reduces students’ appeal to class work and draws students away from their responsibilities. Students see other students text thinking it‘s okay for them to do the same, thus, creating a chain reaction. “Cell phones are status symbols for teenagers because when their phone rings while the teacher is talking, everyone laughs. Because playing video games on their cell phones make then look cool. Also, text messaging their friend in the next room is considered more fun than learning about topic sentences” (New York Times Upfront). Subsequently, students are thinking that it’s alright for the usage of cell phones, not knowing it could lead them to a serious problem such as detention if caught. Cell phones are a major disruption during classes because when students get a text message, they are curious to what the message says which makes them reply back and get distracted to what the lesson is about. Also, with banning cell phones, students will have no choice but to pay attention rather than looking at cell phones on their lap. “When cell phones go off in class it really annoys the teachers… sometimes the teacher stops the class to see who the culprit is” (Anonymous). Students should be responsible enough for their phones that go off in class since they are
Ramos 3 responsible for their education and future. Phones are the catalysts for more disruptions.
Especially when the teachers attempts to take their phones away, “They get surprisingly defensive about it. The student and teacher start to argue about the phone” (Anonymous). Phones are no longer considered as gadgets in students’ eyes anymore; instead, it stands as a vital organ. Since cell phones are involved with students’ lives now, to part with it is torture. Unknowingly, cell phones have become the puppet master, while students, the marionettes. Limiting cell phones will not only improve how students become more dependent by