Should Students Be Prohibited From Bringing Cell Phones To School?


With the arrival of cell phones in our lives, we have gotten to a point where we would hardly know what how to function without them. Because they are such a major part of our daily lives, bringing and using them everywhere we go is a natural impulse. But are cell phones becoming a distraction to students in the classroom? The access they provide can often tear our attention away from what is important. Should they be allowed in the classroom; and if so, why?

A social distraction


An argument many teachers and principals have is that students predominantly use their cell phones to communicate with friends during class. This had led many principals to ban cell phones from their schools as well as prompted teachers to ban them from even being switched on in their classrooms. Students who are willingly chatting to friends during class are carelessly abusing their right to have their cell phones at school.

A cyber distraction


Phones now have access to the internet which opens up a whole world of distractions. The question must be asked: are students using this access to further their study, or for entertainment purposes? Those who are disregarding their teachers and watching videos or playing games on their phones cannot expect to maintain their right to having a cell phone in school for much longer. Sooner or later this privilege will be taken away from those who are abusing it.

The other side of the argument


Those who promote that cell phones should be allowed in school are quick to bring up the emergency card. They claim that their cell phones are their access to communication if something should happen to them. However, cases of cell phones being used during school emergencies are few and far between. A phone cannot prevent an emergency; it can only notify someone that one has taken place.

In conclusion, it should be noted that cell phones are more of a hindrance than a help. Phones are more likely to be used for extracurricular activities than they are for the reasons students claim. What should be done is a monitoring of these situations at individual schools. Entire schools should ban cell phones if it is found that even one or two students are abusing the privilege. These students should then be named and shamed as the cause of such a ban as adequate punishment for their disregard for school policy.