Debate: Should Children Be Allowed to Have Cell Phones in School?

In our society, it is hard to imagine what life was like before cell phones. One of the ways that cell phones have revolutionized the way we live, is cell phones in school.

Some people think that phones have no place in schools, but banning cell phones in school would be like going back in time to a less convenient and safe time. It seems a little ridiculous for children in elementary school to have cell phones, but at the end of the day, this is a safety tool for kids and provides peace of mind to parents everywhere.

In a world, where unfortunately, we constantly hear about school violence, the cell phone provides an instant connection, not only to parents, but to authorities. If a student were to pull a gun at a school that banned cell phones, help would likely take longer to reach the school. Additionally, a lot of parents panic when something like that happens and cell phones provide instant connections to their children. This helps things run more smoothly in case of emergencies. If parents don't have direct and immediate communication with their children in the case of an emergency, they are more likely to drive to the school which could cause confusion, possibly put them in danger and could even impede ambulances and police cars to reach the school.

In fact, a lot of schools are using the rise in cell phone use to their advantage. In the face of all our recent school shootings, many schools have developed an emergency text messaging system. The idea is to get the word out to all the students quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency like that. They could get the school mobilized and away from the buildings or classrooms that are in immediate danger.

A lot of people dwell on the small problems that come with children having cell phones in school, like using texting to cheat or children playing games on their phone instead of paying attention to the class. But children don't need technology to cheat and to be distracted. If a child is going to cheat, they'll find a way to do it even without cell phones; the way people cheated back in the day when cell phones weren't around. Similarly, not having cell phones to distract them from class does not mean they will pay attention. They'll just find another way to be distracted. And as a teacher, if you're adamant about cell phone use, you can impose no cell phone rules for your classroom. You can usually tell when a student is doing something they're not supposed to be doing and if that bothers you, you can discipline them.

In addition, cell phones provide the ultimate convenience. You can arrange where to pick up your children or give them an easy way to communicate to you that they're going home with a friend or to the mall after school. It's a way for parents to easily keep track of their children. All the reasons not to allow cell phone use in school seem petty and are dwarfed by all the reasons why it's beneficial.