Cell phones are resources in the classroom

The school board has been discussing the idea of a stricter cell phone policy for years and with all of the social media scandals that have arisen in the last month or so, the discussion is yet again being brought back into consideration. However, having a stricter cell phone policy comes with a lot more cons  rather than benefits for students.

One of the main reasons phones should be allowed in schools is because phones can be used as resources in classrooms and if students are not allowed to have them, they’ll be missing out on their assignments. For example, if a student forgets his/her Chromebook at home, he/she can use a cell phone. Most of the times, students can simply use their phones to do their assignment or research and get the same information and work done. This allows them to get their assignments done on time and prevents a student from just sitting there and distracting the rest of the class. Why punish a student for forgetting his/her Chromebook when there isa device that is capable of doing the exact same thing right in his/her pocket? If phones aren’t allowed in school, then we are cutting students off from a resource that can be very valuable to their learning.

Allowing phones in school will also teach students the responsibilities that come along with them. When a student graduates, he/she is going to be in an environment where there are responsibilities and tasks to be done but he/she will have a cell phone. Whether it’s college or a job, a person’s cell phone is sure to be present. If students do not learn how to refrain themselves from using their phones while they’re in school, they’re most likely not going to be good at doing so when they are in the real world. Not allowing students to have their phones on them is making them miss out on valuable life lessons that would help them in the world outside of school.

One of the biggest reasons behind the stricter policy is that people think this will stop rumors from spreading so quickly, as MHS has experienced many schoolwide rumors this year. However, as we all know, simply telling students to not use their phones during school hours will not stop everyone from talking. With or without phones, rumors will spread. Rumors were a problem in schools before people carried phones with them, and they most likely always will be. Stopping students from having their phones on them really won’t stop any pre-existing problems and only will create new ones.

So all in all, the idea of having a stricter phone policy has good intentions but, in the end, it will just do more harm than it will do good. Schools spend less time fighting phones and more time working on etiquette with students.