By John West
Texting has become a problem in schools. It causes students to become distracted and even end up failing classes. The effects of texting in school range from not learning the information, causing disruptions or slowing the class pace down, and taking learning time away from other students.
Not being able to take in the information is an automatic setup for failure. It’s simple; if you are not paying attention in class because you are on your phone, you won’t take in the lesson and you won’t be able to pass. If the teacher tells you to put it away, than you better put it away and become focused on class.
The teachers have a big role in how the students learn. If one student has their phone out and the teacher needs to keep stopping class to tell them to put the phone away, it slows down the class. Furthermore, the teacher cannot get through his/her lesson for the day. Teachers should just send people out for using the phone to avoid this problem.
The biggest problems are from the students. The students have the power to make their own decisions. If the student puts their phone away for one day and just concentrates on learning then maybe they would gain some knowledge. Maybe they will realize how much their phone is taking away from their life. Students have the power not to listen, but essentially the decision is theirs.
These are just a few of the problems that texting in class or school creates. Students that do not text tend to do better in school than students that text in class. Even though texting is a part of our environment, it is negatively affecting learning in school. It may also be contributing to the lower graduation rates in school districts.
- John West is a junior at Henninger High School