Cell Phones in the Classroom

As you look around society today,  you can’t help but wonder. Is this the way it’s supposed to be? Children as young as nine years old have a cellphone. And children use their cellphones constantly: to access social media, to play games, for entertainment, and to communicate with friends and family. It seems like cellphones can act as a remedy to a child’s every ailment. Children have even been taking their phones to school, which can cause a lot of problems in the classroom. 

Due to the increase in the use of electronic devices in the educational setting, schools have imposed rules that limit the amount of time children use their phones during school hours. However, in some schools rules  are now more stringent  than they were in the past, and were imposed  as a result of students’ cell phone activity in the classroom. So taking all these factors into consideration one has to wonder, are cell phones a new plague? Now, as the owners of said cell phones, it’s  the students’ responsibility to know and follow  the rules of cellphone use in the particular school. So is it wrong to ask?  Are schools overreacting, or are students the ones making cell phone use in schools seem like a disease?

Tashon Diaz-Haywood, founding principal of Queens Preparatory Academy, believes cellphones are a student’s responsibility. According to the New York City Department of Education’s cell phone policy, students are permitted to bring their cellphones to school but the principal must provide a school-based policy for cellphone use. These policies implemented  by the principal should be based on the students’ focus in the classroom, and their ability to be responsible where cell phone use is concerned. For example, at QPA students are not allowed to have their cellphones in their possession in the classroom, but this was not always the case. Upon returning to the building after the pandemic, students enjoyed  the privilege of having  their cellphones during class. However, the situation backfired as many students were using their device during instruction, so changes had to be made.   

According to Mrs. Yucht who teaches history at Queens Preparatory Academy, cellphones are a distraction for students because, despite the guidelines, some students are texting or streaming content on Social Media in class. Mrs. Yucht claims students often get on their phones  and become immersed in something that takes their attention away from the lesson. Cell phones contain a student’s “whole world,” she admits, and  believes that in order to have a safe and productive learning environment, students should not have access to their phones while in school. As she sees it, this restriction allows students to “detox” from this device, which will result in better grades and overall academic performance.

Actually, the situation is more serious than some may imagine. Social media is populated by apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok among others, and students are posting pictures on these platforms that can go viral in record time. Students can post videos of fights, confrontational arguments and cellphones can be a key factor in starting them. 

Cellphone use can also cause bullying. Social Media is one of the key places where cyberbullying occurs, according to Stopbullying.gov: text messaging, online gaming, online forums, and chat rooms. Bullying can cause fights in school, and in some cases have even led to students committing suicide. 

On the other hand, even though cellphones have some negative factors, they can also be positive for students. Dahlia Jones,  Assistant Principal at Excelsior Preparatory Academy, states that cellphones are an alternative if there is a problem with technology in the classroom. According to Jones, a cell phone can be like a small computer. It contains a lot of information that is beneficial to the learning process, and the amount of information available will only increase as time progresses.  

However, it goes without saying that some QPA students favor cellphone use in the classroom. According to Devon Burgos, cell phones can help students research vocabulary quicker than looking in a  dictionary. Christian Hardy, another QPA student, is in favor of allowing students to have their phones during school hours since students can call parents or guardians in case of emergencies. Imagine if there’s an incident in the school–not a stretch considering the violence occurring in schools across the country–students can reach out to a parent, guardian or even law enforcement for support. 

 Nevertheless, despite these positives, cell phones can also be addictive. Ms. Smith, psychologist at the Springfield Gardens Campus, cautions that cell phones are habit-forming because “information is at your fingertips.” As she sees it, now students don’t even have to go to places like the library to search for information. They can just check online, and the convenience encourages dependency. To make matters worse, cell phone addiction can interfere with a student’s studies.  The information the cell phones contain is causing it to become a necessity which increases the amount of time you have to use it. 

Ms. Smith makes it clear that some teens are even allowing cell phones to affect their relationships with others through the use of social media. Instead of connecting with other people, scholars are more interested in losing  themselves online.  Cell phones can also have a negative effect on students’ social-emotional development. Because of cellphone use, some students aren’t interacting with their peers. They are also interacting less with their families face to face. Naturally, some students hang out with their friends, but for most of the time they are checking stuff on their cellphones. Ms.  Smith also claims students see false information online and incorporate it in their everyday lives. 

Another problem caused by cell phones is sleep deprivation. Results from a study conducted by Stanford Medicine reveal that due to the lack of sleep that results from excessive cell phone use, students may suffer from the “inability to concentrate,” which could in turn affect their studies. Moreover, it stands to reason that this condition will affect students’ grades and their output in the classroom. According to Stanford Medicine, “92 percent of teens in the U.S have smartphones, and 24 percent report being online [often].” 

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However, the administration at QPA is trying to protect students from themselves. According to Diaz-Haywood who was very much opposed to restricting cell-phone use after the pandemic, currently students are not allowed to use their cellphones in class to ensure academic focus and promote social-emotional interaction. This rule also applies to other parts of the country. For example, at Valley High School in California students are also not permitted to have their phones during class. At QPA, cellphones are collected upon entry to the building and returned at the end of the day. On the other hand, Valley High School  students are permitted to use their phones during their lunch period. 

Overall, considering the big picture, regulations imposed on scholars today will have significant impact on who they become going forward. Moreover, as time progresses we see our dependence on cell phones increasing, which could lead to a number of yet unknown consequences. So, even though some may not like the rules, they’re in place for their protection.