Mary Rodriguez, Staff Writer

It’s the first day of school and you walk into class, noticing a fabric caddy with individually numbered pockets. While initially, the idea of parting with your phone for 55 minutes seems a little daunting, it can be more beneficial than harmful in the long term. 

Phones are one of the most bothersome things in the classroom, especially if you tend to get distracted. Sehar Soukat from the California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology stated that “too much dependency makes us ‘Mobile addictive.’” Smartphones, as much as they can be seen as advantages in our lives, should be used in a healthy amount and shouldn’t always be used to cure boredom. While phones are part of our daily routines, we must take into account that spending too much time on them can be harmful, especially in a learning environment.

Taking a break from your phone, even if required by your teachers, can eventually feel liberating and enjoyable. Spending only an hour off our phones can positively impact our mental health and learning capabilities. Without phones, we can maintain our focus more easily and actually retain information from our lectures in class, which is crucial in a learning environment. 

Having restrictions on the usage of our phones during class time is not only beneficial for you, but it also benefits teachers. When you imagine yourself in a teacher’s position, how would you feel if no one was paying attention to what you’re teaching? Mind you, your teachers spend a lot of time in preparation for their students and lesson plans. Being on your phones during lectures is disrespectful and decreases attention span and overall focus in class, thus decreasing academic performance.   

The ARHS school policy is already pretty flexible considering that we can use our phones during passing time and lunch, which should be the only times when it’s best suited to use our phones. It’s also reasonable as during class, we should not be on our phones as again we are students who have work to do and knowledge to acquire. 

We have time built into our day dedicated to learning. If we loosen the phone policy further, the potential to learn will decrease. What’s the point of going to school if you’re just going to be on the phone all day?

Arushi Kohli, Senior Staff Writer

From providing endless amounts of information to staying connected to the world around us, cell phones are a fundamental part of our lives. 

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 95% of U.S. teens have access to a cell phone, with 69% of them saying that it makes it easier to pursue different hobbies and interests and be creative in life. These tiny devices hold an immense amount of power when it comes to imagination and inventiveness. 

However, cell phones have begun to raise concern in the classroom setting due to the distraction they pose to the overall learning environment. Schools such as Algonquin, have begun to implement strict phone policies that restrict the usage of phones throughout the day. While some might believe this is beneficial to the overall learning environment of a school, allowing students to access their phones in classrooms can be extremely useful in times of crisis.  

In today’s society, the mere action of going to school has become increasingly dangerous. In 2024 alone, there have already been 50 school shootings, with 13 of them being on college campuses and 37 happening in K-12 schools, as per CNN. These incidents left 66 students and faculty members injured, and 24 people were killed, a significant increase from pre-pandemic years. Cell phones are essential for emergency communication with parents and guardians. Preventing students from possessing them on school grounds can reduce their ability to contact help in these dire situations, leading to preventable harm.

Parents have expressed their concerns regarding this issue. In a poll completed by Ipsos, 85% of parents believe that a child having a cell phone provides them with a peace of mind knowing they can communicate with them at all times.

In addition, based on research completed by the Pew Research Center, the demographic with the most access to phones is 13 to 18-year-old adolescents who should be responsible enough to resist the urge to use their devices during a lesson. If most of them are given the responsibility of driving a 2,000-pound vehicle, why should they not be allowed to use their cell phone during the day at reasonable times?

Enforcing harsh cell phone policies in schools only negatively impacts the safety and well-being of students by limiting their connections to the outside world. Students are perfectly capable of self-policing their utilization of cell phones; schools just need to trust them.