The debate today is whether students should be allowed to use phones in class or not. This issue has become very important in recent years as smartphones have become common. Phones in class could be good or bad.
Having phones in class raises concerns. They could distract students, disrupt learning, let students cheat, and affect their social skills. But allowing phones could also have benefits. We need to carefully look at what might happen if students use phones freely during class.
This article will argue against letting students use phones in class. Four key arguments will be made: phones distract, disrupt the learning space, enable cheating, and harm social development. Some arguments supporting phone use will also be addressed, along with the reasons phones should be banned.
Introduction
Today’s debate is “Should students use phones in class?” This means students could access phones anytime during lessons for any reason – messaging, browsing, gaming, or calls. This is an important issue. It affects education quality and well-being for students and teachers.
Phones are everywhere and have many uses. But in classrooms, there are downsides too. In this article, I’ll argue against letting students use phones, covering four points: distractions, learning disruptions, cheating risks, and social-emotional impacts. I’ll also respond to common arguments in favor.
Argument 1: Distraction
- Phones in class distract attention. Students focus on the lesson, teacher, classmates less. Their focus and concentration decrease.
- Research shows phones use in class can have negative effects on students’ academic performance, memory, learning. A study found students using phones during lectures scored lower on quizzes than non-users. Another study found frequent phone users had lower GPAs, less satisfaction with education, more anxiety.
- We’ve all seen phone distractions in class. I recall a loud ringing phone disrupted a math test, ruining everyone’s thinking. Another time, a student played games instead of taking notes, leading to the teacher taking the phone away and scolding.
Argument 2: Disruption of Learning Environment
- Phones disrupt class flow and the learning setting. Their use creates noise, interruptions, conflicts affecting the teacher and other pupils.
- For instance, mobile devices may hinder teachers’ lesson delivery and classroom management. They can also interrupt communication between instructors and pupils, as well as among students themselves. Additionally, phone usage may breed resentment or envy in those without devices or permission.
- Using phones during classes could be viewed similarly to disruptive conduct like conversing, note-passing, or dozing off, which are typically prohibited with consequences. If caught talking or passing notes, a student might be asked to stop, change seats, or visit the principal’s office. Likewise, phone use should face equivalent disciplinary actions.
Argument 3: Academic Integrity
- Another key reason to prohibit in-class phone use is safeguarding academic integrity and honesty. Phones can enable cheating, plagiarism, and undermine assessments’ validity and students’ work.
- Many cheating incidents involving phones have occurred in schools. For example, in 2015, over 200 Singaporean students used phones to access answers from a website during a national exam. In 2017, Maryland students shared answers and questions for a state test via phones. In 2018, a Texas student photographed a test and posted it online, leading to district-wide test cancellation.
- When taking tests, quizzes, assignments, or doing projects, students shouldn’t have their phones out. This rule helps avoid cheating and plagiarism issues, keeping academic integrity. Kids should just use their own knowledge, approved tools, and skills. Teachers must enforce classroom phone policies strictly, and report suspected violations.
Argument 4: Social and Emotional Development
- Another big reason to bar phones in class? Too much use negatively impacts students’ emotional and social growth. Phones mess with key skills like communication and empathy.
- Research proves phones impair social abilities like empathy, cooperation, face-to-face rapport with peers/teachers. A 2014 Misra et al. study found phones present during talks reduced interaction quality/quantity, increased perceived distance. Pea et al. (2012) linked multitasking with media like phones to lower social well-being – feeling disconnected, unsupported, unempathetic.
- Studies also link phone use to mood issues, low self-esteem, high stress in students. Twenge et al. (2018) found more adolescent phone time linked to higher depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. Elhai et al. (2017) tied problematic, compulsive phone use to lower self-esteem, more anxiety/stress.
Pupils should limit phone use at school. They need to interact more positively with peers and teachers. This promotes healthy social and emotional growth. Phones risk harming mental health. Students should seek help if needed.
Rebuttal of Counterarguments
A. Some say phones have educational uses like research or creativity. Others claim phones aid emergencies or privacy.
- Phones aren’t the sole or ideal educational devices. Laptops, tablets, smartboards are better learning tools. Plus phones tempt non-academic distractions like games or shopping.
- Emergencies don’t require phones. Schools have phones, intercoms, alarms. Phones can create issues like cyberbullying, sexting, hacking.
B. Such arguments lack validity because: - Specialized educational tech betters phones for learning. Phones enable unrelated, disruptive activities hurting focus. Other options suffice without phone risks.
- Dedicated communication channels handle emergencies safely. Phones bring new dangers like harassment, exposure, security breaches. Alternative methods avoid these harms.
- Phones aren’t the only or best tools for personal reasons. Other options exist to address personal needs, like using the school nurse, counselor, or locker. Additionally, phones might conflict with personal reasons, such as health, privacy, or entertainment, potentially affecting or annoying students and others.
C. Allowing phone use in class can lead to serious negative consequences, including: - Reduced academic performance, memory, and learning outcomes in students.
- Disrupting the class’s flow and learning environment’s continuity.
- Compromising academic integrity and honesty among learners.
- Impaired social skills, mental health, and overall well-being for students.
Reasons Why Students should not be allowed to use phones in class.
Here are 50 reasons why students should not be allowed to use phones in class:
- Phones can draw students’ attention away from the lesson, teacher, and classmates.
- Phones may decrease students’ ability to focus and concentrate on tasks.
- Phone use can impair students’ capacity to remember and retain information.
- Phones could lead to lower academic performance and grades for students.
- Phones might interfere with students achieving their learning outcomes and goals.
- Phone use can disrupt the class’s flow and learning environment’s continuity.
- Phones might create noise, interruptions, and conflicts affecting the teacher and classmates.
- Phones could interfere with the teacher’s lesson delivery and class management.
- Phones obstruct the educator’s and pupils’ ability to communicate and engage effectively.
- Pupils without phones, or forbidden from using them, may feel envy and resentment.
- Device usage compromises academic integrity, enabling dishonest practices.
- Cheating and plagiarism become simpler with phones in the classroom.
- The value and validity of student work is undermined by unregulated phone use.
- School and classroom policies prohibiting phones may be violated.
- Phones negatively impact pupils’ social and emotional development.
- Communication skills like empathy suffer due to phone distractions.
- Reduced face-to-face interactions weaken peer and teacher relationships.
- Phone usage affects mental health, altering mood, self-esteem, and stress levels.
- The risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts increases.
- Students may develop an unhealthy dependence or addiction to their devices.
- Inappropriate content like violence, pornography, and hate speech is accessible.
- Cyberbullying, sexting, and hacking make students vulnerable.
- Privacy and security risks include data breaches, location tracking, and contact theft.
- Vision problems, hearing loss, and poor posture damage physical health.
- Devices like phones may release radiation that could potentially be harmful to students’ well-being.
- The use of phones could lead to wasted time, money, and energy for students engaged in their studies.
- Students may fail to develop skills and pursue hobbies like reading, writing, or sports when excessively using phones.
- Creativity and imagination in students could be reduced due to excessive phone usage.
- Exposure to diverse viewpoints and experiences may be limited for students relying heavily on phones.
- Values and attitudes like consumerism, materialism, or narcissism could be inadvertently encouraged in students through phone usage.
- Respect and responsibility, like proper manners, etiquette, or following rules, could diminish in students addicted to phones.
- A false sense of reality and connection, reinforced by filters, likes, or follower counts, may develop in students overly reliant on phones.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in students could potentially be hindered by excessive phone usage.
- Phones may impair the development of emotional regulation and coping mechanisms in students.
- Sleep quality and duration could be negatively affected in students due to phone usage.
- Responsibilities like homework, chores, or family time may be neglected by students distracted by phones.
- Motivation and interest in learning could decrease in students overly engaged with phones.
- Students may face increased pressure, competition regarding grades, rankings, or comparisons due to phone usage.
- An inequality or gap could arise among students with varying access or availability of phones.
- Important classroom moments like discussions, demonstrations, or celebrations may be missed by students distracted by phones.
- Phones can make students less independent and resourceful, such as relying on Google, Wikipedia, or calculators.
- Phones can make students less attentive and responsive, such as ignoring or missing cues, signals, or feedback.
- Phones can make students less curious and adventurous, such as settling for easy or familiar answers, options, or sources.
- Phones can make students less flexible and adaptable, such as resisting or rejecting changes, challenges, or opportunities.
- Phones can make students less confident and assertive, such as avoiding or fearing public speaking, participation, or leadership.
- Phones can make students less cooperative and collaborative, such as working alone, in silos, or in cliques.
- Phones can make students less respectful and tolerant, such as judging, stereotyping, or discriminating others based on their phone use, preferences, or habits.
- Phones can make students less honest and trustworthy, such as lying, cheating, or stealing using their phones.
- Phones can make students less happy and satisfied, such as feeling bored, restless, or dissatisfied with their phones or their lives.
- Phones can make students less human and humane, such as losing their sense of empathy, compassion, or kindness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have argued against the motion that students should be allowed to use phones in class, by presenting four arguments: distraction, disruption of learning environment, academic integrity, and social and emotional development. I have also rebutted some of the common arguments in favor of allowing phone use in class, and provided 50 reasons why students should not be allowed to use phones in class.
Phones aren’t evil, but they don’t belong in classrooms. Minimizing phone use improves learning quality and well-being. I hope this convinces you. Phones aren’t crucial or suitable in classrooms.
Support phone-free classrooms. Encourage others to do so too. Together, we’ll make classrooms enjoyable and engaging for all. Thank you for listening.