The Controversy Over The Use Of Cell Phones In School

Technology is becoming a part of everyday lives in this generation, and trying to control the use of smart phones has proven to be incredibly hard. Taking cell phones completely out of the hands of students’ throughout the school day is unreasonable. I realize that most teachers and staff members grew up without them and expect us to do the same; however, times have changed. We are growing up in a different day and age where we have surrounded ourselves with technology. Students should be permitted cell phone usage in school for many reasons. Many adults would like to argue against the use of cell phones, saying they are too much of a distraction and that they are unnecessary; however, there are many scenarios where students may need their phone. Whether it consists of a child being sick and needing to alert their parent throughout the day, or a sudden change in plans due to the weather or extra-curricular activities. In today’s society, parents are becoming more concerned with where their children are. According to research at NLCATP, 48 percent of parents monitor their children’s location using the GPS technology in cell phones. (“11 Critical Pros and Cons of Cell Phone Use in School”).

Mass school shootings have become more prevalent in the last decade. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shot students at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado in April of 1999. Twelve students and one teacher were killed in this rampage. Students trapped in other areas of the school were able to send messages outside the school using their cell phones. In situations like this, first responders and law enforcement could benefit from the information being relayed by those inside the building. Without cell phones, there may not be a way to communicate with those outside the school and in this case, the number of casualties could have been higher than it