Cellphones in the Classroom: Friend or Foe?

Story and photo by Joslynn Rivera.

As pre-teens and teenagers, we like to have our phones on us at all times. When we wake up, during the day, before we go to sleep—we have our phones on us. The only place we aren’t allowed to have our phones is at school. One of the main reasons why middle schools like Woodridge don’t allow students to have their phones in class is because they are distracting. According to Vittana, cellphones split student's attention. This means that students can't get all of the information they need because they are trying to split their attention between their phone and what is going on in class. But could there be some positive aspects to allowing phones in schools and classrooms?

One advantage of having phones in class is that students can record what they are learning instead of writing down, which makes learning more accessible. Writing on paper takes longer, and there’s always a chance a student could possibly lose or misplace their paper notes. Phone recorded lessons could also help with homework, because students could listen to the recording when they need help at home. Another advantage is that students can research things on their phones, like words they do not know the meaning of. Cellphones are just another way students can access information. Having phones in class could give them more critical information they need.

All in all, having cellphones in class could be a good thing or a bad thing—it all depends on how they are used. In my experience, having phones during class is not good, but sometimes it is handy.

Joslynn Rivera is a 7th grade scholar at Friendship Woodridge International School.