Explain Why Teens Should Not Be Allowed To Have Cell Phones Under 18

Teens spend an average of 9 hours a day on their phones for social media, games, music, and other activities (Wallace). Over the years, cell phones have evolved to become an essential part of some people’s lives, especially teens. Texting, calling, and social media are now becoming the new way to communicate instead of speaking face-to-face. Cell phones should be banned for teens under 18 because teens can suffer from a lack of sleep, teens can become distracted in the car, and teens perform better in school without the distraction of a phone. The sleep quality of a teen can be greatly altered by phones when used prior to falling asleep. In a study of 10,000 teens 16-19 years olds, “those who spent more than four hours a day looking at screens

Whenever a text message or notification comes through, teens will naturally pick it up, even if it is behind the wheel. An average of 11 teens die every day due to texting and driving, while 21% of fatal car crashes are caused by teens on their phones (“Cell Phone Use While Driving Statistics”). The chances of teenagers dying in a car accident will automatically increase when there is a phone with them. This means the safety of people on the road is in jeopardy. To prevent something detrimental from happening, teens should not be allowed to have cell phones behind the wheel. Crashes would not happen as often and there would not be as many deaths. Without a phone, there would not be a distraction taking their eyes off the road. Because of the many possible incidents that could occur from distracting cell phones, they should be banned for teenagers driving a

The opposition claims cell phones make it easier to communicate instead of talking face to face. However this can affect how teenagers talk dramatically. According to Bonnie Ellis, a public-speaking coach and director of academic affairs for the University of Phoenix Detroit, stated texting has reached a point of absurdity that teens will sit beside each other and text instead of speaking. Teachers have even felt the need to address the issue so teens who plan on going into the work world will know the importance of communication (Fredericks). In the future, teenagers who rely on their phones to talk to others will have a difficult time because they will not have the speaking skills to communicate during a job interview or to a customer. The opposition also claims social media can be a way to always know what a teenager’s peers are doing. However a major thing that can happen on social media is cyberbullying. Over half of teens and adolescents have been cyber bullied online, and more than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberbullying threats (“Cyberbullying Statistics”). This is very alarming because cyberbullying can affect how a teen acts and feels, especially in school. Due to both of these negatives about cell phones, teens should not have possession of them in order to do well in the