R U Kidding? Cell Phone Bans R Necessary While at School?

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The sound of a cell phone vibrating in class, projecting to every corner of the classroom and being heard by all the students and the teacher. Is and will there be a punishment? Well, that depends on the school’s policy on cellphone use.

It seems that the mixture of cellphones and schools doesn’t go over well with some people. Two sides are created from this issue, with one side believing cell phones should be banned from school, while the other side believes the complete opposite. There are then those who are in between, believing that cellphones should be completely banned from school, but shouldn’t be out in the classroom. Cell phones should be off limits during class time, but shouldn’t be totally banned from school.

Cell phones could be used as a tool for cheating. In fact, “35% of teens admit to cheating with cell phones”. Deborah Lee and Maureen McMahon report that “most cell phones have a picture-taking device included in the basic technology”. These students could take a picture of an exam or homework and message them to their friends, this showing to be the new way to cheat through high school.

The bright screen of a cellphone can also be distracting. Not only can the student using the device be distracted, but students around that student could potentially become distracted. According to a study conducted by Dr. Larry Rosen and reported by Beyond BookSmart, “[a]cross all grade levels, 80% of students reported that they switch between studying and technology such as checking email, Facebook, texting or watching TV.” Students can switch from studying whatever subject they please to checking out their friends or a celebrity's’ latest tweet or post, or the newest and hottest video on YouTube.

The opposing side of the issue oppose cell phones being used in the classroom, but say that cell phones shouldn’t be banned in school as a whole. To emphasize, Kathryn Cook and Patricia George point out that if cellphones are banned in school, “[it] seems contradictory and counterproductive when most schools provide computers with Internet access to their students.” Since most schools offer either computers or Internet to their students, Cook and George think that banning cellphone usage from schools would contradict the privileges the school gave to their students.

This is partially true, with, according to Terrance F. Ross from The Atlantic, reporting that “99 percent of America’s K-12 public schools and libraries are somehow connected to the web”. Nces.ed.gov informs that there were 98,328 public schools (K-12) in the US during 2011-2012. After a quick calculation, that’d mean that almost 97,345 of those schools have access to the Internet.

The part that could be argued against is the part where they say it seems contradictory to ban cellphones from school. Some schools have a total ban on cellphones, while other schools just have a ban on them while in a classroom. The only time the cellphone ban could be talked out is to communicate with family members due to a family emergency or needing a ride home.

A complete cellphone ban, meaning that students cannot have a cellphone out anywhere in the school until the day has ended, may be a bit extreme; however, a ban from cellphones being out in the classroom is necessary.

Cell phones shouldn’t be banned from school as a whole, but should be banned in the classrooms. Research has supported that students can become easily distracted, and cellphones could be one of the main reasons. There are exceptions to this rule, however, one reason being that a family emergency is going on or someone needing to contact someone for a ride home. Cell phones can be helpful at times, but someone’s education should come before a quick glance on Snapchat or Facebook.