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Journal munger1101-8's Journal: Should teens have cell phones? 44

Journal by munger1101-8
More and more teenagers have cell phones today. Yes, it's 2003, and neary everyone has one, but is it appropriate for teens to have them, too? After all, it's difficult enough for high school teachers to keep their students' attention. With the added distraction of cell phones in the classroom, can anything be learned?

The News Journal of Ohio published an editorial on the topic just this past week. Read the article, then comment on whether you agree on this proposal for controlling teen cell phone use in school. Post at least two comments, and make sure you reply to at least one of your classmates' comments. The goal is to have an online conversation, where you read and respond to others' opinions. Be as specific as possible, using examples from your own experience to support your points.

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Should teens have cell phones? More

Should teens have cell phones?

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  • I'm assuming that this article is talking about banning cell phones from high schools, not colleges. If that's the case, then I agree that high school kids shouldn't have them. They're in school with their friends, who do they have to talk on the phone to in between classes? There's no reason why they need them in school at all.
    • I agree with this comment. High school students really do not have a need for cell phones especially since they have access to phones in the office and pay phones. I do however do not think that they should be band completely because remember it came in handy during the time of the Columbine shooting. Something of that sort could possibly happen again ( I hope not though). The schools need to control the usage and distraction somehow.
    • What's the differnce in high school and college? When you are in between classes you see your friends. So what's so different. And who is for certain that the students are indeed talking to friends. That's all an assumption.
  • I agree with the article to some extent when it makes a point of how cell phones disrupts the class. On the other hand, I think that students should be allowed to keep their phones on them in school except they need to be considerate and turn the ringer off. If they fail to do so then the school should come up with some kind of disciplinary action.
    • I agree with you that cell phones should be allowed in schools, as long as they are either on silent mode, or they are turned off. You made a really good point about how cell phones came in handy at Columbine.
  • I believe that high school kids don't need cell phones at school. I didn't need mine except for emergencies and they have free phones at school for emergency situations. If a student needs their phone after school to keep in contact with family and friends they can lock it in their glove conpartment of their car. In my high school they weren't tolerated in school and were confiscated, so for the schools that are allowing them, the kids are lucky and should not argue with administration asking them to keep them out of class. However, I do not believe they should be banded from college campuses, because they are needed for student use after and between classes, because around campus there are not many accessable phones for student use. Students just need to be respectful and put them on silent.
    • I totally agree with what you have said. Students don't need their phones in school and if they do have them, turn them off during the day. There are so many phones around school that students can use, especially in an emergency situation.
    • I agree with what this person is saying. For the rare occasion where a kid is having an emergency, they can go to the office and use the phone. There's really no valid reason why a highschool kid needs a phone in their backpack.
    • I agree, I think that high school students have little reason to use a cell phone during school hours, and when they do need one, the school provides one.
  • All through high school I carried a cell phone, simply for emergency situations. I left my phone turned off during the day, and I didn't have any problems with it. It's like it wasn't there. I knew of a lot of other students, who did the same thing. At my high school, if someone's cell phone went off, the teacher took it from them and they could pick it up at the end of the day. It really wasn't a problem. I think that kids should be able to have a cell phone with them, as long as it isn't disturbing someone else.
    • You must have not gone to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School, because they were not as nice about cell phones as your high school was. If we even had them on campus they were taken for the whole year and our parents had to come get them from the office. I believe that you should have them at school, I was in a car accident and I needed it to call for help. So I am glad that there are schools out there that worry about their students well-being instead or random, seldom disruptions.
    • I agree with what you are saying about keeping the phones off during the day. As long as they are not in during class, there should be no reason why someone could not have one with them.
    • I agree fully with this argument. My high school did the same thing, except it was more of the teacher's discretion to what he or she wanted. During one class in particular I had an extremely important call to make about an upcoming field trip and the teacher let me call my dad to see about it. I don't consider it a problem unless they interrupt lecture time.
    • same here, I had one during high school, but I kept it turned off, and basically it was to be used in case of an emergency.
    • I agree. I carried a cell phone throughout highschool and just made sure it was off the whole time. No one would really even know I had a cell phone on me unless I told them so. Kids who had cell phones and had them go off during class usually got a mean look from the teacher, and usually the teacher would let it slip if it only happened once.
  • I believe that students should be allowed to have cellular phones at school. However, they should be turned off while in class. But I see no reason why they couldn't use them between classes to call parents to confirm a ride after school or to call their place of employment to see if they have to come in that day.
    • I think your comment about cell phones is very accurate. I also agree that cell phones should be allowed at school because it is very pratical. Increases in technology have changed our life styles. Shouldn't high schools go with the change and not be stuck in their old traditional ways too?
    • Also, some high schools don't let you use the school's telephone to call parents to confirm a ride after school! yet they tell you that there is a pay phone outside. What if you don't have money?
  • Guns and violence should be illegal in high school, but not cell phones, unless of course you are using it as a weapon to actually hurt someone. In my high school, we were allowed to have phones, but they must be on silent. If a students cell phone went off during class, then the teacher had every right to take away the student's cell phone. There didn't seem to be that many problems with interruptions in class, and if there was it was taken care of immediately. Ohio should stop worry about cell phones going off in class and start up a fight against illegal use of cell phones while driving, which is a much bigger problem today.
    • I completely agree with this comment. There are much bigger problems we need to be worrying about rather than if a student has a cell phone on them while being in school. There are some people, like me, that just flat out feel safer if they carry one with them even if they are just at school. We have recently found that bad things can happen at school too! I really dont think it is that big of deal.
    • Well, yes it is not a weapon, but it can be used as a way for buying drugs!
  • I totally disagree with this article. I see nothing wrong with high school students having cell phones. You never know when there might be an emergency. I know that everyone says that in case of an emergency go to the office, and make a phone call, what if indeed the emergency happens within the classroom. Then what do you do, run to the office? Or what if a student has a family emergency, and a parent tries to contact the student through the school, we all know that 99% of the time the school phone lines are tied up, with the student having the cell phone, the parent would be able to contact them. Every cell phone has silent ring on it, so try putting the phone on silent and it wont permit a problem.
    • You make a good point when you talk about emergencies in the classroom. It is always good to have a way of communication with the outside if something happens. Even though the administration doesn't permit them they might be grateful if something happens and a cell phone is used to report it.
    • I totally agree with what you are saying. My high school wouldn't allow cell phones because they said that there was a school phone to use. Sometimes there are emergencies and someone for instance might need to get in touch with you and they might not know the school number. Also, think of the line you would have to stand in if there was only one phone for thousands of kids to use.
    • NOT every cell phone has a silent ring... my boyfriend's phone doesn't have one. Also, for those phones that do have a silent ring, kids will often forget to turn the ringer off. I think it's really annoying when people's cell phones go off in class.
    • Silent or not, it still would destract you from the class. I dont exactly remember my school phone liines being tied up 99% of the time, some exagurated statistics. During high school my family moved alot, resulting in me having to goto 3 high schools. Out of the three not one had a problem with recieving msgs from my parents and informing me about it. I am not saying that kids should'nt bring the phones, if they really need it then bring it but keep it turned off. Michael
    • But what about if the school did and allowed the students to have cellphones? some students will take an advantage of this, and will start bothering the teachers just to show-off infront of his/her peers! and some other students will use it to sale and buy drugs!
  • I don't agree with everything in this article. I think that cell phones are good to have for emergencies though. Even having a cell phone so your friends can get a hold of you is good too. High schoolers shouldn't be talking on them in school however. I brought my cell phone to school with me all the time, it wasn't a problem though. I kept it in my purse and it never went off.
    • I totally agree. Cell phones are ok to have as long as they are not used in a disresptible way. I think to have them so that parents can reach them or to have them to reach friends to get together then that's fine. As long as they arent' being used during classtime and as long as they are put away. So yeah i agree with you!
    • I totally agree with your view on ths subject. As long as people keep their phones out of sight and on silent, this would not even be an issue.
  • I do think that teens should be allowed to have cell phones. It is an easy way for people to get in touch with you and in an emergency it is very useful. I don't think that it is necessary for younger kids to have cell phones though.
    • In an age when it seems like everyday a child is being kidnapped, I think cell phones can be a very useful tool for this. I know a mother who bought her son a phone after he was unable to get a ride home from school and the school had all ready closed for the day. She bought a fifty-minute a month plan to be used only for emergency purposed. He also keeps the phone turned off and in his bookbag all day.
  • I don't think students should have their cell phones on them while in school. But if they are convinced that they absolutely need a phone,that's fine,just make sure it's not disrupting anyone. I just don't understand why they would need it, most of your friends are there with you and if you desperately need to talk to your parents, then there are several phones around a school you can use.
  • I agree with the article if it's talking about high school students not being able to use a cell phone during school hours. I do believe that it is rude for students to bring them to class whether in high school or college. I think as long as they keep them turned off or on vibrate in case of an emergency then it wouldn't be such a big deal. High schoolers are most of the time surrounded by their friends so they don't need them unless they need to talk to their parents. At college students should try to respect their teachers and fellow students who are trying to learn. College students show more effort toward their school work due to going to college on their own accord.
  • I believe cell phones and their usage at school should not be that big of an issue. Teachers and professors should allow them in their classrooms and students should respect this privellege enough to turn their phones on silent. I do agree that students should be respectful enough to turn their phones off and not disturb class, and they should be punished if they do not.
  • I feel that in highschool it is not as neccessary to have a cellphone. In college, however, I feel it is almost a must. Since I am a commuter I'm always using my phone to get in contact with my home and friends. It's a drag to find change to use a pay phone, and they're not always around. I'm always meeting with people at school or elsewhere and I feel more comfortable when I have a cell phone that I can use, when I need it. I do give proffesors the respect by puting my cell phone on silent.
  • I believe that cell phones in high school should really only be there in case somebody needs to be picked up at a different time or something like that. I don't think that they would need for leisure purposes though. I can see where they would want to ban them from high school, because they can be a big distraction in the classroom.
  • I completely agree with the writer of the article. I understands the advanteges of teens having cell phones, but I also believe there should be limitations on where you should have your cell phone, or at least where it can be on or off.
  • I didn't have a cell phone until I got into UNCC. So I did not have to worry about cell phones during high school. But in our school, if the teacher saw, or heard a phone, it can be taken away from you 'till the end of the day. I'm not saying that fixed the problem of phones ringing, because people just do not learnt heir lesson the first time, but it did help the situation alot.
  • I didn't have a cell phone in high school, and I still don't have one in college. I managed to survive without one. Whenever I need to call someone, I rarely have a problem getting to a phone.
  • Personally, I think it is okay for a teen to have a cell phone. I had one all through high school and I still do. It realy does come in handy for getting in touch with friends, but for the most part I just feel safer having one on me at all times! After all the bad things we hear about happing in schools today a cell phone could end up being a life saver. So as long as students just turn them off during the day I dont see a problem with having them!
  • I think that as long as the student has the cell phone turned off and is only using it for emergency purposes, then it is ok. With the cell phone turned off, it will not disturb class or anyone else in school. If they are using it in the hallway between classes then teachers can simply confiscate them for misusage.
  • I do agree with what some people are saying about having cell phones. We should be able to have them but it we do have them, then we need to be respectful and turn them off when we are in class.

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