By Gina Marino
The technology that is the “smartphone” is making the big impact in the educational world.
It was just the other day that student Jessie Pantani, ’16, used her phone as part of her assignment. “My assignment was to look up supporting documentation using our smart phones because it would be quicker and more efficient, seeing as everybody had them at their desk.” In many schools, smartphones are now taking the place of the desktop computer in the classrooms. With this new found technology freedom, it raises the question of whether or not this will be an issue for the student using the device. The problem isn’t having the cell phone in school, it’s what the student does with it that raises eyebrows. A New York Times article stated, “’They are a distraction,” said Howard Bennett, a superintendent of schools. ”It’s to the point where they even go off in classrooms. It’s just not appropriate for school.” With such an addictive device at our fingertips, students are becoming more distracted from what is going on in the classroom. Many educators, tutors and teachers argue that cellphones are a distraction and should be banned, according to cellular-news. “Cell phones are distracting. We go on Twitter, we go on Instagram, we go on Facebook, and nothing is really done about it except the occasional ‘put it away’,” said Meghan Cacace, ’14. The question still remains whether cellphones should be allowed in school, and not all agree on a solution. “I like to have my phone in school, and although it has a lot to offer, I feel like I can manage myself. I listen to music and look things up in class as well as stay in contact,” says senior Brian Fitter. For the upperclassmen, using cell phones in school isn’t all that new, but for freshmen, cell phones are a new luxury. “I enjoy that there’s more freedom with the phones in the high school than the middle school, so having them available is nice,” said student Lauren Driscoll, ’17. With increasing sales, there are an increasing amount of users. Among the millions now owning a smartphone, 77% of those users are kids, age 12-17. As times have changed, so has the question of when exactly the right age is to own a cell phone that is a smartphone. Lookout Mobile Security recently conducted a survey of smartphone-savvy parents and found differing opinions about what age is the right age to get a phone. Kids under 13 or over 13 were split right down the middle. And this makes sense: some parents see a phone as primarily a tool for keeping their child safe and in constant touch with Mom and Dad, while others see the phone as a reward for good behavior or a necessary step on the path to becoming a responsible young adult. With a device so powerful, and handlers so eager with this concept, the smartphone can show its negative sides. Smartphones don’t necessarily make their users any smarter. In fact, the technological distractions might even make users score lower on some tests. Researchers at University of California, Irvine and Carnegie Mellon University have found that people taking cognitive tests with access to smartphones and other gadgets scored 20 percent lower than those without. Students couldn’t concentrate for more than two minutes before sending an email or checking social media, the studies found. A smartphone has numerous helpful features, but at the same time, they have become highly addictive, and lead the path to an unhealthy and unsafe life. According to the Huffington Post, 84 percent of respondents said that they could not go a single day without their cellphones, while 20 percent of respondents said they check their phone every 10 minutes. This has been posing a threat on the school systems. The days of keeping your phone at home or in your locker are over. Schools now allow kids to have their phones in the school with them. “I am generally very good about allowing students to have their phones in class, but to a certain extent. If I see that the phone is causing major distraction over and over, and if the work isn’t getting done, then I will confiscate it until the end of class,” said Spanish teacher Mrs. Weisenbach. However, whether the phone being taken out for the right reasons is the question that is raised. “You never know when an emergency can arise, so having a cell phone just in case can help the students,” said student Dan Driscoll, ’15.