Introduction
Technological advance has turned out to be an extremely affluent factor in lifestyle changes worldwide. Many technological inventions, innovations and devices are now an integral part of people’s lives, as their functionality contributes to greater convenience and comfort. Models and means of communication have been affected greatly by technologies, too: email, internet, social networking, and cellphones produce influence the way people communicate to the considerable extent. Cellphones have become a norm for modern social life with their convenience, accessibility and an immense array of opportunities available. Moreover, the cellphone culture affects not only adults but also children and adolescents who are usually plunged in the modern hi-tech reality since early childhood and given examples of their adult parents. Between 2001 and 2005, use of cellphones by underage individuals increased by 140% and continued to grow (Cribb & Hamilton, 2005), while cellphone use reached school setting as well (Maddox, 2012, p. 262). However, as cellphones have many entertaining properties in addition to multiple practical functions, scholars and educators raise concerns about the negative effect of these devices on academic performance, concentration and learning abilities, and cellphone use by schoolchildren remains an issue of vigorous debates. Yet, cellphones are acceptable and even useful devices for school settings, if their use is properly regulated and their application is controlled. With appropriate regulations, cellphones can be efficient educational tools for students.
Children’s safety and connection with parents
Probably, the primary practical argument in favor of cellphone use by schoolchildren is related to their parents’ concerns. As children are enrolled in schools, they become distanced from parents and are placed in diverse environments which enable various type of unpredictable conditions and situations. Parents, in turn, need to identify their children’s location, control their activity and make sure that they are completely safe. Considering this need, cellphones are a valuable tool of instant contact with children and track their location. On the other hand, children can use cellphones to reach their parents in case of any emergencies or problems. There is nothing surprising in the statistical fact that safety of their children is the primary advantage of cellphones for many parents (Humble-Thaden, 2011, p. 10). If schools ban cellphones, parents will be unable to control their children, while their fundamental right to control the latter will be violated.
In addition, cellphones are essential if parent need to contact their children immediately, e.g. in case of accidents or even death of a family member. Thereby, texting can relieve the school administration’s workload. Also, cellphones enable storing emergency contacts which might help children get sick during their classes: contacts of parents, family members or doctors will be easily found in cellphones.
One more safety argument in favor of cellphone use by schoolchildren is justified by quite a few recent instances of emergencies in the U.S. schools. While America’s gun control policy is ambiguous and imperfect, there have been multiple instances of school shootings in the recent years which keep parents and school staff in awe. Considering such cases as Columbine High School Shooting of 1999 and the more recent shooting is Chardon (2012), use of the discussed technological devices is seen as even more essential for children’s safety in emergency situations.
In Chardon, cellphones enabled students to inform their caretakers that they were safe as the shooting occurred (O’Donnell, 2012). In addition, many 911 calls were registered from cellphones during the school shooting which proves the security property of cellphone use at school and shows that mobile phones can save both lives of their owners and of other individuals.
Of course, cellphone’s safety function also covers terroristic threats which have become a grave aspect of modern reality; thus, parents respond negatively to any cellphone ban policies as they want to ensure their children’s safety and stay in touch with them. Even more, it is stated that students themselves feel more confident and safe in the classroom when they have cellphones (Twebaze, 2015, p. 23).
Cellphones as educational tools
The functional capacity of cellphones has been increasing in the course of technological advance: from simple calls and texts a couple of decades ago to countless functions and opportunities of modern smartphones. For school students, many functions possessed by modern cellphones can become not only a way of entertainment but also a valuable assisting tool for education.
The recent studies of student performance emphasize interdependence between school performance and cellphone use: when the gadgets are applied for academic purposes, they are likely to enhance children’s school performance. Also, informing parents about children’s homework assignments via texting makes cellphones helpful in enhancing test scores (Beland & Murphy, 2015, p. 4). Even more, the study of Hofferth and Moon (2012) shows that cellphone use for texting might even improve reading comprehension.
Naturally, opponents might argue that cellphones might be distracting for schoolchildren, and this is true – if their use is not controlled properly. In this case, children would use cellphones mainly for entertainment, games, social networking and other distractions. Yet, cellphone use should be regulated both by students themselves and by school staff; then the gadgets will help align education with modern standards of the technological age. Schools can include cellphones in their curriculum in different ways: texting test answers, texting homework information to students, informing students about changes in their schedule, reducing pen-and-paper practice use and hence making communication with student more efficient. Texting homework via cellphones is stated to be more effective, for the assignment is less likely to go unnoticed.
The discussed technological devices are also necessary in the school setting due to their usefulness in student research. If a school does not have enough computers in a class, information for the lesson can be found via cellphone quickly, easily and – what is more - independently. Offering such functions, tablets and smartphones become a more cost-efficient alternative for computer equipment. Additionally, cellphones add interactivity to the educational process and make it more interesting for students themselves: instead of boring skimming through paper books, students will be engaged in the interactive digital learning process which is more interesting for the new generation.
The research conducted by Obringer and Coffrey also shows that using a smartphone can be useful in enhancing student reports with visuals, recording school events and field trips, and even creating photo essays (Obringer & Coffrey, 2007, p. 41). For students who are sick and are unable to attend classes, smartphone video streaming technology can be extremely useful: a classmate who is present in class can provide a video stream for the sick student. Such useful property of cellphones helps ensure that students follow the curriculum even if they are sick.
Of course, it should be mentioned that many functions of modern cellphones can make studying more effective and comfortable for students. Except numerous social networking apps and games and players, smartphones offer functions which can be useful in class: calculator required by many schools; various dictionaries for definitions and translations; note-taking apps; stopwatch; calendars helping to follow the schedule; digital readers which can spare the student of carrying many paper textbooks; and many other valuable opportunities.
In this aspect, the counterargument is anticipated: opponents might object that cellphones make cheating easier. However, one should understand that cheating has been a widespread practice for years preceding development of smartphone technologies: students managed to use paper notes during exams and are now able to use cellphones for the same purpose. Yet, if cellphone use is integrated into education wisely, there will be virtually no need to cheat for most students and levels of student motivation will increase.
Communication and practical skills
Of course, academic aspects of cellphone use are the primary focus of the present argumentative paper, but there are also other important aspects. Research shows growth in the tendency of cellphone use among children aged 6 to 10 years, while the reported impact of this practice on their communication skills and cognitive skills is positive (Buchegger, 2010, p. 7). Buchegger (2010) also indicates that cellphones open children’s minds, improve reading and writing proficiency and increase linguistic abilities, because texting ass a common form of cellphone use facilitates the child’s direct contact with language.
Furthermore, children’s identities, interpersonal skills and knowledge are developed exactly during school years, which makes cellphones assisting instruments for identity expression, resolution of daily problems and communication with peers and friends. Mobile phones can be the means for identity expression and a way of positioning oneself inside a particular youth subculture (for instance, via the child’s choice of a phone ring tone). As a symbol of particular social status, the cellphone can contribute to the child’s sense of independence. Using cellphones, children can learn to solve minor daily problems without their parents’ direct assistance – from schedule and time management to weather forecasts.
In this way, cellphones can affect children’s development in a positive way, enhance their adaptability to modern technologies and make them more involve members of society. While school is intended to prepare children for adult life, inclusion of cellphones as a vital part of modern reality in this setting makes the process more effective and forms practical skills and realistic expectations in children. Otherwise, if deprived of the opportunity to use smartphones, children will be isolated from social life and unfamiliar with social contexts and situations they will be placed in later.
Conclusion
Technological devices have become an essential part of our life in the hi-tech age: these devices provide opportunities for instant communication, convenience, flexibility and simplicity. An ordinary cellphone offers an enormous range of opportunities and functions which make our life easier and the number of users has been growing rapidly. Thereby, the trend of cellphone use has reached children of school age, becoming an issue of debates. Yet, notwithstanding potentially distracting impact, cellphones can produce a favorable impact on children’s cognitive, social and personal development, academic performance and even safety. Well-balanced and regulated use of cellphones by schoolchildren is not only unlikely to have negative outcomes, it can also improve the educational process, increase children’s engagement in class activity, increase interest in learning and improve learning efficiency for students attached to these useful hi-tech devices.
Reference List
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Obringer, S. J., & Coffey, K. (2007). Cell Phones In American High Schools: A National Survey. Journal Of Technology Studies, 33(1), 41-47.
O'Donnell, P. (2012) Ohio school shooting: Drills, cell phone use paid off. Cleveland Website. Retrieved July 18, 2016 from http://www.cleveland.com/chardon-shooting/index.ssf/2012/02/northeast_ohio_school_district.html
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