No Change Needed in MHS Phone Policy

Jennimai Nguyen, Opinion Editor

Our generation has often been mocked– adults claiming that the teenagers of today have nothing better to do than stare at our fluorescent-lit screens every minute of every day. While some may adamantly argue that teens are capable of so much more than simply texting their lives away, the growing use of cell phones in classrooms seems to prove otherwise.

“[I check my phone in class] whenever I get a text or notification– about 20 minutes every class,” said Katherine Miller, freshman.

But when cell phones are used as a resource rather than a distraction, cell phones help teenagers grow in their skill sets.  Students, though, need to take on the responsibility of using phones appropriately at school.

Many would think that the classroom should be a sacred place, free of distraction so that the students can focus solely on their education. However, MHS’s phone policy does not currently enforce such a standard.

Currently, the MHS phone policy states the following: “Using a cellular telephone, video recording device, personal digital assistant (PDA), or other electronic device in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the right of others [is prohibited]. All electronic devices must be kept off and out of sight during the regular school day unless the supervising teacher or school administration grants permission.”

Dean Samantha Smigielski clarified the policy.

“Basically, students are allowed to use their phone in the hallways, commons, lunchroom, etc,” she said. “When students are in a more formal setting [like a] classroom, library, [or] office, it is at the discretion of the adult in charge of that area. In other words, teachers have the right to have their own policy for their individual classroom. If a student is not following the policy, their phone can be confiscated, turned into the Dean’s Office and a parent needs to pick it up.”

Many teachers have adapted this policy to their needs by allowing phones at their discretion. For both the student and the teacher, this can be extremely helpful.

One of the biggest advantages this policy gives is the opportunity to use phones as a tool for research and learning. It has allowed students like me to easily find the answer to a question or bring in unconventional sources in academics.

“Some teachers use phones for learning opportunities while others may have a strict no phone policy. It depends on the situation at hand,” said Delaney Appelhans, junior.

The relatively flexible policy leaves much to be desired by those who wish that phones were put away and kept away in class, but not many MHS students want this to be the case.

“[Cell phone usage] isn’t a problem at all,” said Isac Banuelos, senior. “It’s just how things are nowadays. It helps get me through my classes.”

While it is true that a majority of students use their phones at some point during the school day, it’s impractical to say that MHS is glued to their Smartphone screens. In fact, many students demonstrate their own sense of self-control.

“I use my phone pretty often in class, but when I’m in a more laid back class or lenient one I definitely use it and check it more often than my AP classes,” said Appelhans.

Students also recognize that while it may be entertaining, cell phone usage may be affecting their education.

“I think that by using my phone, it makes it harder to learn, but I do it anyways,” said Miller.

Whether it’s Candy Crush or Instagram, the World Wide Web holds many distractions to the classroom. Appelhans also realizes that since she’s “constantly distracted by what’s going on in the Twitter world,” her learning may be affected as well.

While students currently don’t mind the phone policy, if it were to be revised, many would want to offer their own input. As I currently have no qualms with the phone policy, if it were to be revised, I would definitely want my voice to be heard. The last thing I would want would be for adults to assume that teenagers are tech-obsessed and eliminate phone usage in classes without a student being able to defend the true benefits of cell phones in class.

“I would put my input into a new phone policy [if a stricter one were to be written],” said Appelhans. “And I would want it to be more class-by-class mandated so that the teachers could decide based on the level of rigorous activity done in their class.”

Whether the phone policy remains as is or gets a little bit of a whipping into shape, one thing remains clear: cell phone usage definitely affects the learning environment, and students and staff alike must do what’s best to further education.