As phones have become a larger part of our day to day lives, they have become increasingly common to find throughout schools. Over the past few years, students have begun to use phones everyday both in and out of school. Many students have started to use phones for calculating math equations, searching for information on the internet, and even for working on Google Doc essays and projects. However, these utilities have come with a price: the distractions that come with having a phone all the time. From checking Instagram and posting on Snapchat to watching videos and playing games, phones come with a wide range of apps that can be distractions while at school.
As phones are used throughout the school day, many students use them for research projects, helping with math calculations, and checking grades. The use of phones allow for easy access to Google and other search engines for looking up useful equations and useful information on any topic.
“[Phones] have the potential to have a powerful positive impact,” said Dr. Milks.
In addition, many students use their phones to communicate with parents, clubs, and many other after school activity groups. Therefore, phones have become an everyday utility that can be used at school.
However, phones also can have negative effects on students’ work. Many students get distracted by their phones and are unable to get homework and classwork completed on time. With all of the features and apps that new smartphones have, students have hundreds of games and other distractions to get them sidetracked and cause them to not pay attention to lessons and not complete work while in school. However, all of these distractions can be controlled and tamed by the student. I believe that as long as students can be engaged in learning, they will not be on their phones while in class.
Therefore, I do not believe that phones are currently a major problem in school. I understand that phones allow for easy to access distractions, but I don’t believe that phones are the root of the issue in schools.
