Recently, the idea of students using phones during class has become a large debate. Some teachers let their students hold onto their phones and use them during class, while others take them.

Ms. Domingos, says, “As a young teacher, who had distractions of smartphones in my own classroom, I recognize the worth of learning opportunities that came outside of social media and scrolling through a phone. I want my students to be able to learn without distraction and interact with their classmates on a personal level.”

There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to having a phone in class. 

As technology has been advancing drastically over the past ten years. Cell phones are everywhere nowadays in today’s society for so many reasons. Phones have communication, news, games, videos and so much more. They have something for everyone, which makes them so addicting. A report from the Montreal Gazette found that 95 percent of teenagers have access to a phone, and 45 percent say they are online “almost constantly.”

The most common concern with phones in class is a distraction. Students can easily find ways to use their phones during class, whether it’s in their sweatshirts or behind a computer screen, it is getting kids off task. They do this while the teacher is instructing, and it takes their attention away from the lesson. Teachers are worried students are not learning the content when they can access their telephones. 

Another big concern Gibbons English and History teachers have with allowing phones in classes is cheating. Even with the Gibbons Honor code and brutal consequences, cheating is still possible. Phones create a new way to cheat in school, and with the pressure of doing well in school, sometimes the temptation is hard to resist. Students with phones during tests have almost unlimited resources with a lot of information. Without taking students’ phones during class, there is a greater risk of students utilizing them to cheat.

Phones are constantly seen only as distractions in the classroom, but that is not always the case. Phones can be beneficial in times of safety and communication. Students feel safer in school when they can have easy access to their phones. If there was time for an emergency students feel safer when they can get their phones easily and can communicate readily. Using a cell phone is a fast well for a student to clarify to they are safe with their parents. Cell phones also help emergency responders contact the students and send them directions. Generally, cell phones are incredibly valuable in such situations.  

Not only do cell phones create safer environments for students, but they also can test a student’s maturity. When kids are given the opportunity to have their phones during class, there is a choice they have to make. They get to decide whether their phone or the class is more important to them. This can either teach a student good self-control or just ruin their grade. This can be an effective way to teach kids how to use their phones responsibly during class. This models responsibility for smartphone usage later in life. 

Phones and school have recently become a relevant debate, that may never be concluded. There are so many advantages and disadvantages to allowing phones in school environments.