The Impact of Cell Phones in Classrooms: A Double-Edged Sword

Cell Phone Distractions: Undermining Academic Success and Well-being

Nowadays, technology is really common and is used by everyone, everywhere. It can be really useful in some cases, such as hospitalization and organization, but it also has negative impacts on humans. The majority of students in schools around the world have access to the most common technology: cell phones. The question is, are cell phones useful in classrooms at school? Definitely not, simply because they can be a big source of distraction, increase the risks of cyberbullying, and decrease physical education and activities (social life at school).

Firstly, cell phone use in classrooms is not useful simply because it can lead to distraction during lessons. For example, when the teacher explains a lesson to the whole class, students usually take out their phones and occupy themselves by watching videos, playing games, texting, etc. This distraction can lead to more stress because they won’t be on time with the lessons and homework and won’t understand properly the assignments that have been given, which can cause a big workload. According to researchers, 49% of students who took a survey claimed that it distracted them in classrooms. “It was a constant distraction for kids, and what it became is a constant discipline issue” (Robin Kvalo).

It is humongously insane! Because of this, students won’t be able to get a better sleep schedule from the amount of charge and anxiety by catching up on their work, which can be really bad for their health. According to scientists, teenagers who have a bad frequent sleep schedule have a higher chance of getting heart attacks in the future, strokes, diabetes as well as mental illnesses. In brief, all of these side effects can lead to failure not only in school grades but, most importantly, health.

The Dark Side of Connectivity: Cell Phones and the Surge of Cyberbullying

Secondly, cell phone use in schools isn’t useful because it can also cause cyberbullying. Since teens are predominantly at their cell phones, they have a greater chance of provoking other students by threatening them with texts. The problem with this is that the teachers around them don’t realize since the action is not physically committed. According to several mental health professionals, more than 59% of students are victims of cyberbullying and have never reported it. On top of that, since cyberbullying is very common in schools, there is, therefore, a greater chance that the rate of suicide and depression will increase rapidly.

According to researchers, about 1 in five students, which is the same as 21%, had committed suicide because of that. They had difficulty sleeping, concentrating (which caused more stress because of the lack of patience to complete school tasks), etc. Other studies discovered that 34% experienced cyberbullying in general around the world. This concludes that cell phone use in schools can cause cyberbullying, which leads to death.

Cell Phones vs. Real-World Interactions: The Erosion of School Socialization

Thirdly, cell phone use in schools isn’t necessary because the socialization between students and their teachers will decrease (physical education as well as activities). Being on cell phones during class at school wouldn’t really help students with their social lives. We will always be on social media, playing games, instead of actually having fun with friends and doing school activities (enjoying the moment). About 68% are addicted to phones and aren’t really socializing with peers.

Socialization is a really important thing, especially for teenagers, because it reduces anxiety, suicide, and depression levels. Instead of living in real life and listening to birds sing outside, they get addicted to a fake world. It is a pretty ugly habit that’s frequently committed. Studies show that principals are worried about students in classrooms at school (with cell phones) because the latter will bring not only cell phones but other devices, such as Chromebooks, iPads, etc., in order to occupy themselves and “leave” the real world to have fun in their fictional one.

Scientists claim that socialization is extremely important because those interactions will give humans a chance to explore different things from people, and fitting into the larger world will make them learn how to communicate with others as well as share thoughts and feelings, which makes them feel better, healthier and more open. It will stabilize the society. Let’s take the example of the COVID-19 pandemic; ever since it started, a lot of people got separated and stopped interacting with each other. A poll recently showed that about 90% of the human population around the world wasn’t feeling as happy as they used to before the pandemic hit, simply because of the lack of interaction. That’s what causes bad mental health.

In conclusion, cell phones are definitely not essential in classrooms at school because they can be a source of distraction, can increase the risk of cyberbullying, which can lead to death, and can also decrease the amount of socialization between people. What if we look on the positive side? There are times when cell phones can actually save lives.

References

1. Anderson, J. (2022). “The Digital Distraction: How Cell Phones Impact Student Performance.” Educational Psychology Journal.
2. Kvalo, R. (2023). “Mobile Madness: Cell Phones in the Classroom and its Impact.” Education Today.
3. Thompson, L., & Patel, P. (2021). “Sleep Deprivation in Teens: A Public Health Crisis.” Journal of Adolescent Health.