Think about it: it’s third period and your teacher is giving a lecture. No one is paying attention to you, or so you think. You take out the one thing that can possibly interest you more than your teacher’s droning voice: your phone, with its endless list of classmates and who knows who else. No one cares, so why not just send off a text or…20.
Stop right there!
Do you realize that the next day you will have no idea what you learned the day before, you won’t know about an upcoming test, and homework will be a mystery, because you were too busy seeing what Lola had to say about Glamour Girls the night before. You will think to yourself, “How could I have possibly missed that?” I can tell you, you’re obsessed with that thing that you call your life, your phone.
I know how easy it is too get into a interesting conversation on the phone, but in school, some kids are taking it a bit too far. Not only do they get in trouble with it in a disciplinary aspect, but also an academic aspect. On the high school level, we are all supposed to be preparing for our futures. You may think that only seniors need to worry about college, but what colleges look at are grades throughout a student’s entire high school career. Every high school grade from every marking period counts. If you are not doing well, because you are too busy having a social life in school, this will impact your opportunities in the future. Maybe you should put the phone down for a few minutes and pick up a book, take a few notes, or listen to the lesson. Just getting by is never going to help you in the long run.
Nearly half (47%) of US teens say their social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone, and nearly six in ten (57%) credit their mobile device with improving their life, according to a national survey from CTIA* and Harris Interactive*. I can’t say this isn’t true, even for me. Without a cell phone I would not know 24/7 what my friends are up to, if they can go to the mall with me, or what the latest gossip is. I rely on my phone just as much as anyone else, but not when I am in school.
Another issue I have with cell phone obsessions is the impact on social interactions. Nowadays I have been noticing that for shy people texting is, by far, more comfortable than face-to-face conversation. You don’t have to go though those long awkward silences and, if you don’t know what to say, you can just simply not reply. Cell phones are nice; however, they are slowly destroying people’s socialization skills. Without actually seeing their friends, people are on their phones stalking Facebook and Twitter, getting to know people as acquaintances instead building real friendships. How many students actually go out anymore? Texting is an activity itself. What a lonely activity.
So before it’s too late, put down your cell phones, and go do something with your time. Get some fresh air, solve a puzzle, read a book or make a friend. Be active and live your life. Don’t regret living on your phone.
