Farmington High School Student's Negative Cell Phone Use

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When was the last time you saw a teenager without their cell phone? They may forget their lunch money or their homework, but they don't leave home without their phones. Farmington High School students are no different than teens at other schools. For many Farmington students their cell phone use can have a negative impact on their school work. Studies have shown that students may be paying more attention to their phones than they are to their class work. Often during class, a student will be texting a friend with some unimportant message instead of paying attention to the teacher. They may look like they are quietly listening to the instructor , but under the edge of the desk, the hem of a jacket, or a stack of papers their fingers may be typing out some chit-chat news that has nothing to do with what they should be learning. Professor Fang-Yi Flora Wei, Ph.D. of the University of Pittsburg points out that "In-class texting interferes with the students ability to pay attention, which is necessary for effective cognitive learning (sciencedaily)." When we cannot understand or remember information, the result is usually poor grades. Also, according to Wikidot.com, Tech-Nation texting has a negative effect on the student's ability to write papers. They are having problems with punctuation and run-on sentences. Shortcuts found in instant messaging and texting have been finding their way into papers students are writing. They are in such a habit of writing "u" and "ur" for you and your, that some teens have seemed to accepted these letters as real words. Many have also forgotten where to put commas and periods because they seldom use them when texting. While these are some of the concerns about the impact teen texting has on c... ... middle of paper ... ...e cell phones. They state that the average teen will text 50 times a day. This does not include checking email and playing games. The constant use of the student's cell phone affects attention span, interest, mood, concentration and sleep. This often results in poor grades. The problem will get worse unless the parents step in and put some kind of restrictions on its use. Scott Steinberg, author of the "Modern Parent's Guide", warns that ,"Technology can enhance family life but you need to establish boundaries(Parent's)." A start might be restricted phone use during homework time or after ten o'clock on school nights. Students must learn to use this amazing invention in a responsible way. Hopefully, Farmington High School students and parents will realize how important a good education is to a successful future and put reasonable limits on student cell phone use.

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