1. Running Head: Cell Phone Usage 1
Cell Phone Usage during the School Day
Alexandra E. Gaertner
Endicott College

2. Cell Phone Usage 2
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 has
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 students believe they should be able to carry their cell phones on them during the
school day. Students and some other parents and administrators argue 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-Courier,one school believes their students
can have access to cell phones during lunch and free periods because they are not disrupting the
learning environment. The 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.

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Cyber bullying, and bullying in general,have been significantly increasing 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, conducted in a study about cyber
bullying and published his findings in his article entitled, “Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem.” He
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 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

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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,
“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‟ (quoted in Russell
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 were not
using their device.
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

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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).