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Alex Gaertner
Dr. DiSarro
ENG 101- Section 12
2 April 2012
Cell Phone Usage during the School Day
As time goes on, technology becomes more and more advanced. Along with these
advancements come problems in society. Cell phones are one technological device that have
become incredibly popular. The majority of people in today’s society own cell phones. The
more advanced cell phones become the more time people spend on them. Texting is a world-
wide phenomenon andteens especially have become increasingly attached to their cell phones.
They have a constant need to be using them all hours of the day. This has become an issue
within school systems. Schools have to take action against the use of cell phones because of the
many problems they are creating. Cell phone usage should be banned during the school day
because of the underlying problems they cause in bullying, cheating, distractions and safety.
Some people believe students should be able to carry their cell phones on them during
the school day. It is argued that students should be able to have them so that they can contact
their parents or other authorities at the time of an emergency. Some parents like the idea of
being able to immediately and directly reach their child all hours of the day. According to the
article, “Schools Re-examine Cell Phone Policies” written by Jake Russell, a writer for the
Jacksonville Journal-Courierone school believes their students can have access to cell phones
during lunch and free periods because they are not disrupting the learning environment. The

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school board argued this was a way to let the students communicate with parents as well as
limit the temptation of the students using them during class. The principal stated that not
forcing them to part with their cell phones the entire day would decrease their use at more
important times of the day (1). Although this may seem like a good point, it is not the case.
Allowing students access to cell phones at any point during the day still comes with other
consequences. Problems that occur from students using their cell phones when they are not in
class include, increased and easier cyber bullying as well as issues with student safety.
Cyber bullying and bullying in general have been significantly increase throughout the
past couple years. The development to new technologies and instant access to them has a
major impact on this increase. Having access to cell phones during school allows students to
immediately cyber bully someone. If there were a fight occurring in the hallway, one student
could easily take a photo or video and upload it to the internet or send it in a text message to
someone encouraging other people to come join in or watch. Not only does this immediately
affect the situation, cyber accounts of this event are now available for more torture and
humiliation. A student could upload video footage to a site like Facebook and then anyone
could see it and comment on it. Once uploaded the footage is forever available to the whole
world to see. This incident could cause significant impairment of the bullied student’s self-
esteem and could make them a target for even more bullying. Justin W. Patchin, an associate
professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin participated in a
study about cyber bullying and published his findings in his article entitled, “Cyberbullying and
Self-Esteem” and found that it is a growing problem that has a direct relationship with student’s
self-esteem. He says cyber bullying has been becoming much more evident because, “it seems

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much easier to be cruel and malicious through a text message, e-mail, posted photo or video, or
another form of digital harassment because of the physical distance separating the offender
and the victim” (2). Having immediate access to these digital devices is only aiding in the
problem and making it even easier. Patchin also says, “educators need to intervene in
cyberbullying incidents, as failure to do so may impact the ability of students to be successful at
school” (1). It is important that school systems take action against this problem and try to do
anything they can to prevent it. Banning cell phone usage during the school day will help to
significantly reduce this problem because it limits the ability of students to take an
embarrassing picture or video of another student.
Another major issue associated with cell phones in class is easier means of cheating.
Students can easily hide their cell phones in their laps and browse the internet for answers to
tests. They could also take a picture of answers or notes beforehand and then access them
during the test. If cell phones were banned from schools and had to be kept off and away
during the day this problem could be completely eliminated. Reggie Clinton, superintendent of
the Beardstown school district speaks of his opinion on an effect of allowing cell phone usage
during school in Jake Russell’s article, “Phones with cameras, for example, can be used to take
pictures of testing materials that could be sent to other students…’The more frequently they're
going to be available in the classroom, the more the teaching staff will have to be really on their
toes,’ Clinton said. ‘You have to make sure you really have things monitored if they're going to
be readily available’ (1). If students are allowed access to their phones during the day it would
make it incredibly challenging for the teacher to have to closely monitor every student to make
sure they weren’t using their device.

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Cell phones cause a major distraction during class by taking the students attention away
from the teacher. Students are more interested in texting and surfing the web during class than
listening to the lecture. Akash Bargaria, a writer for the current events section in the Weekly
Reader, believes students should not be allowed to carry their cell phones throughout the day.
He says, “Cell phones can be a major distraction and impair student learning” (1). Because of
this, teachers and school authorities are taking action to implement punishment for using these
devices throughout the school day. Students should not be able to have their cell phones with
them during the day. There is no reason to on them while at school. With immediate access to
such devices students will text friends, search the web, or play games all throughout the day
and not pay any attention to what is happening in class.

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References
Bagaria, A. (2011). NO CELL BEFORE THE BELL!.Current Events, 111(7), 7.
Patchin, J., &Hinduja, S. (2010). Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem.Journal Of School Health, 80(12),
614-621. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00548.x
Russell, J. (2011, August 20). Schools re-examine cellphone policies. Jacksonville Journal-Courier
(IL).