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Smartphones are an ever increasing part of people’s lives. With smartphones we can text, talk, and send pictures to the other side of the world. In school environments, cell phones are viewed as a distraction and a distraction only, and it is not taken into account how important they are to students. I believe that because cell phones are such a big part of students’ lives, they should be viewed differently, and the rules and regulations we have on them now should be changed to accommodate the importance of them.

Although students can use smartphones to do things that disrupt class, from personal experience, this never happens, and if it does it is an accident. If a student is using a phone in class it is almost always to send a text or check something else. 

When students know they cannot or aren’t supposed to check their phones it could lead them to be thinking and focusing on that instead of the teacher which could lead to not learning as well or as much and could even stress the student out. 

If a student pulls their phone out for a couple seconds to look at and respond to a text the teacher should not stop class and address the student. All that this does is stop instruction for other students as well as call out the student when it should not have been a big deal in the first place. 

In high school and college, much more responsibility is put on the students to learn instead of being taught. This means that teachers and professors should not worry as much because it is the students responsibility to learn. 

Another thing that cell phones offer is music. Edward Graham, 22 year teaching veteran and member of the National Education Association, wrote an article about using smartphones in the classroom. In it he said, “The noise level in the classroom goes down, and the work amount goes up when you let them listen to music.”

In an article by USA Today, the case for allowing phones in class is given. This case is that phones may be used for educational uses, using apps to make presentations or study for example.

As cell phones become more and more advanced, they also become a bigger and bigger part of people’s lives. I believe that in schools, cell phones should be viewed as a bigger part of lives, instead of just a hindrance.