I can confidently say that nearly everyone reading this has a cell phone or iPod in their pocket right now. Before you continue reading, try making it to the end without responding to texts or plugging in to music. Whether we’re at school or at home, high school students are constantly in contact with others, just a few button-presses away.
This usually isn’t a problem, except when it comes to school. There has been a totalitarian crackdown on cell phone and MP3 player usage at the high school, as though we’re living in a George Orwell book. Or so it was until the policy changed.
Since the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, students have been allowed to use their phones during lunch, passing periods, study halls, and advisories (at the teachers’ discretion, of course). In reality, that extends to the classroom during instruction, with texts sent furtively under the desk.
The new policy change was an attempt by school administration to cut down on the in-class phone usage by allowing access outside of class. It makes sense, after all. “We’re not being taught during lunch, so why can’t we have our phones out?” So runs the argument. Until this year, the fear was that allowing phones during those times of day would open the door to intensified cell phone usage in class.
Now that the door has been opened, apparently things haven’t descended into the pit of chaos that was predicted. According to assistant principal Jill Dillard, it’s actually helped. Electronics-related referrals have dropped since the new policy was put into place. Some teachers, however, aren’t so convinced.
When it comes down to it, it has to be the teachers who enforce (or don’t enforce) the classroom rules. No matter how many rules the administration makes, the teacher is the one who has direct control.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of the students putting phones away. Because that’s what phones, and to a lesser extent, MP3 players are about: attention span and connectivity. We use them as simple distractions, often without realizing it. The constant connectivity doesn’t give us a moment’s break.
So how many made it to the end without checking Facebook or for text messages? If you did, indulge me for one more challenge. From sundown on Friday, March 23, to sundown Saturday, March 24, is National Day of Unplugging, which started in 2010 (more information can be found online). Turn off the computer, find a quiet place, and disconnect. Mark the date down – I’m sure your phone has a calendar.