Cell phones have been around since the 1940s and have contributed to making a big leap in advancing technology. People eventually realized how beneficial the technology would be if it was integrated with their daily lives. After time passed by, humans beings have become so addicted to the digital device that parents are allowing opportunities where even their young children can access them. However, the influence of technology has also affected schools, often leading to severe consequences. Hence, the use of cell phones should be restricted in classrooms because it promotes cyberbullying, distracts students and decreases their learning ability, and provides a disconnection between students.
     

Cell phones directly promote cyberbullying. Although the cell phones’ original purpose was to connect people from long distances, the purpose today has been warped to accomplish repulsive jobs. Students have easier access to social media and have several opportunities to torment others. Phones make it easier for hiding behind a screen instead of confronting. There were several incidents where students have committed suicide for hurtful comments from their classmates. Not only do cell phones open a gateway to social networks, but also to photography in bathrooms and locker rooms as well.
     

For instance, a 12-year old girl from Alice Johnson Middle School in Channelview was arrested and convicted of improper photography. The girl was punished with a three-day suspension and 45 days in another school. She could have been easily been sentenced to serve time in a juvenile detention facility. Likewise, the jury had no issue determining the student’s punishment. However, Juror Trey Otis claimed “it’s a shame to have 12 year-olds with felony convictions because they’re playing with a piece of technology that’s more powerful than they know.” Authorizing smartphones in schools grant students the opportunity to misuse their freedom--as the 12-year old did.
   

 Smartphones can distract students from work, leading to their learning ability decreasing. When people receive a text, a chemical called dopamine is released, making them feel good that someone is talking to them. However, dopamine is the exact chemical that makes people feel good when they smoke, drink, and gamble. Namely, it is highly addictive. There are age restrictions on smoking, gambling, and alcohol, yet we have no age restrictions on social media and cell phones. It is the equal to opening a liquor cabinet and allowing minors full access to it. As teenagers, students have the desire to be constantly in touch with their friends and phones, even for the loss of their education. Even I am guilty, to an extent, of this action.
     

Research on electronic devices have shown that cell phones can reduce the ability to think to a person’s full potential and additional research from Stanford University has shown that intense multitasking decreases the efficiency of completing a given task. According to The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning in Harvard University, 80% of students agreed that using a cell phone in class decreases their ability to pay attention. In several surveys, students have reported that texting is distracting to even nearby students; “a study on laptops found students relatively close to others who were multitasking on a laptop scored worse on a test than those who were not near the multitaskers.” Carrie B. Fried, a professor at Winona State University, found that most students using a laptop spent most of their time on activities not related to note taking and identified the negative correlation between students’ success in class and in-class laptop use. All types of electronics, especially cell phones, have the ability to deteriorate a student’s concentration and intelligence level.
     

Smartphones provide a disconnection between peers. The devices have become symbols of status among classmates. If a student has the latest model of the iPhone, then that automatically makes that person ‘royalty.’ If another student has a Nokia or even doesn’t have a phone, then that person is considered to be lame. It is the phones that permit others to exclude certain students from their clique. The model of a smartphone is what determines a student’s social life, instead of their grades or just their personality. Often times, the student’s with the latests models rely on their ‘phone royalty’ to obtain friends and end up being part of a group who don’t interact with each other face-to-face, but rather through their screens. The students who don’t have phones or have an inferior version are able to relate to others based on their unique personalities instead.
     

I am the latter student; I didn’t have a touch-screen cell phone until I was halfway through tenth grade, compared to my peers who had iPhone 6+ at the beginning of middle school. My first communication device from sixth grade was a slide phone, only to be used to contact my parents. Compared to my old classmates, who were able to show-off their phones and make friends because of it, I charmed people with my personality. I coped with my burden of not having a nice phone and was able to learn how to properly interact with people. However, smartphones don't just disrupt the social-economic diversity, but also communications among students.
     

If you’re sitting at lunch with your friends and texting somebody who is not there, then that action is an addiction. If you’re sitting in a meeting, with people you’re supposed to be listening to and speaking to, and you put your phone on the table, face up or face down, that sends the subconscious message to the room that: “you’re just not that important to me right now.” The fact that you can’t put it away means you’re addicted. If you wake up and check your phone before you say “good morning” to your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, you have an addiction. Like all addictions, it’ll destroy relationships, it’ll cost time, it’ll cost money, and it’ll make you life worse.   
     

However, having cell phones in classrooms can prove to be beneficial. Digital technology  can be learning aids and allow students to look up facts quickly on the internet. Students can also photograph power points in class instead of writing notes for faster efficiency. With smartphones, there is a wider access to information, which can expose students to a world of creative ideas outside of their bubble. Utilizing digital devices in classrooms provides teachers with an opportunity to advance their skillset and grow with their students. Despite all these positive outcomes of cell phones, the disadvantages have much more serious weight and consequences. With the temptation of social media and texting in their hands, students may focus solely on their social life instead of the lesson plan. While some believe digital devices make for greater connections for students, there are also those who believe too much time with digital devices disconnects students from face-to-face social activities, family communications, and nature. Digital devices in the classroom could lead to an even greater disconnect. Thus, cell phones should have restrained use in classrooms to ensure a tranquil atmosphere.

 Smartphone devices should be restricted in classrooms because it distracts students and decreases their learning ability, provides a disconnection between students, and promotes cyberbullying.  A solution to this issue of permitting cell phones in classrooms would be to install guidelines and rules. Students need to be taught online safety, the use of judgment in determining good quality sources of information, and restraint from personal use in the classroom. In other words, they need to learn all about digital literacy and digital citizenship. If a school is going to allow and/or encourage the use of digital devices in the classroom, then teachers also need proper support in terms of training, professional development, and curriculum.