disadvantages

The source of much public debate, the issue of whether to allow children and teens to bring their mobile phones to school has been discussed and debated at length across the country. Even now, there is no clear-cut answer or conclusion. There are many arguments against allowing cell phones in the classroom.

Distractions

When a child is in school, his or her purpose there is to learn. Young people can be easily distracted from their studies - and having easy access to a mobile phone during class can make it easier for them to lose focus. According to a 2010 study from Pew Research Center, 64% of students say they have texted in class and 25% have made or taken a call. And it's not just talking to others. That same study noted that 46% of students play games and 23% access social networks on their phone at any time. If they become bored with the class material, it doesn't take much for them to take their cell phone to play some games or to check their news feed on Facebook or Twitter. How can you expect a child or teen to absorb the knowledge they need to learn if they're not even paying attention?

Cheating

Obviously, kids won't be able to take out their cell phones and talk to one another in the classroom during an exam, but the concept of "passing notes" has stepped into the age of technology, thanks to text messaging. Texts can be sent quite discreetly while in the classroom. Taking it one step further, a student can excuse himself to go to the washroom, only to use that time to send text messages about important questions.

It's also important to bear in mind that cell phones are advancing and improving faster than ever. Smartphones can surf the web, providing high-tech ways for students to look for test answers online. Some models have advanced calculators, and depending on the software, may even be able to run custom applications that can contribute to academic dishonesty. Just to look at the statistics, a study from The Benenson Strategy Group in 2009 stated that 35% of students have used cell phones to cheat. Additionally, 41% of students admit to storing notes on phones to use during tests and 46% of teens admitted to texting friends about answers. The possibilities for cheating and copying are literally limitless when students have access to cell phones in class.

Theft

Cell phone theft is a problem in America with 3.1 million cellphones being stolen in 2013, according to Consumer Reports. Now add still developing brains, hormones and social status to the mix, and you can have the perfect combination for stealing if a particular individual brings an especially expensive cell phone to school. The last thing you want to do is to tempt the would-be thieves by sending your child to school with a piece of equipment that make him or her a target. Lockers are more likely to be broken into, for example, if they know there is something of value in there.

Illicit Pictures

Kids will be kids, so with hormones raging during their school days, there is a distinct possibility that some students may take pictures or videos that they shouldn't be taking. Given that nearly every cell phone these days has a built-in digital camera, it becomes too easy to take a picture of someone without the person even noticing. These photos are also easily uploaded and shared over the Internet, social media or texted to friends. All it takes is a simple Google search to see news stories of teenagers expelled or suspended for distributing illicit pictures of others like these students in Shakopee Public Schools. Can you imagine the uproar if pictures were to arise of girls in the dressing room or boys in the locker room?

Cyberbullying

Along the same lines, cell phones also make it easier to cyberbully, which is when a person uses electronic communication to intimidate, threaten or humiliate a person. Not only can cell phones make it easier for rumors to spread like wildfire through the school with a simple click of a button, but students can also send mean or hurtful texts to students and post inappropriate pictures of students.

Data from the Cyberbullying Research in 2016 showed that 33.8% of students have been bullied in their lifetime, 11.9% have been threated through a cell phone text and 11.1% have had a hurtful image of them posted. In addition, a whopping 25.7% have had one or more different types of cyberbullying done to them. With cell phones readily available in schools, cyberbullying can become a lot easier to accomplish.

Socioeconomic Diversity

Cell phones can easily become seen as status symbols among students. In some schools, it is the more privileged kids that own cell phones or that have the latest phone on the market. This can lead to envy and cause socioeconomic diversity among students. Those with lower-end phones or no phones at all often become jealous and resentful. Those with the higher-end phones can show them off and look down on those who don't have the latest phone.

Inappropriate Material

Cell phones are becoming more and more advanced mini computers that allow students to access material at the click of the screen. While most schools have filters and regulations to block out inappropriate material, with 48% of students looking up unsuitable sites, they can find a way around this. This coupled with larger classrooms can make access to inappropriate material easier. Now imagine students texting that material to other students. Pretty soon, it will be everywhere.

Target for Predators

Many students use the internet or access social media sites without teacher or parent supervision. These students can be targeted by predators. Predators lurk in chat rooms, on social media sites and other websites that are of interest to students. With the use of smartphones and other devices, it can be hard to monitor a student's online activity.

Harmful Physical Effects

The EPA has regulations that discourage too much exposure to technology and allowing students to have cell phones in school can increase their screen time during the day. Cell phones give off a low level of non-ionizing radiation for which the long-term effects at low levels are still being studied. However, allowing students to use their cell phones during school adds to their exposure to this radiation, which can in turn have increased harmful effects on the developing bodies and minds of teenagers.

The Other Side of the Story

Realize that cell phones are not necessarily a bad thing for students to have and carry to school. Just as there are a number of cons to allowing cell phones to be used in school, there also a number of pros too. Parents can decide if a phone is appropriate for their child and set guidelines on how they want it to be used. Many schools also have set rules on whether cell phones are permitted or not so it is best to check with the school's specific policy before sending your child in with a cell phone.

Although they appear to be absolutely indispensable communication tools these days, you may be wondering what are the disadvantages of mobile phones? Believe it or not, mobile phones have their negatives as well

What Are the Disadvantages of Mobile Phones?

While it may not be completely fair to clump the entire cell phone industry into one tight package (smartphones are distinctly different from basic flip phones, for instance), there are certain commonalities among most cell phones. That's why when you ask what are the disadvantages of mobile phones, you will come across a similar set of possible responses.

Never-Ending Interruptions

Many of us may have had the experience of being in an important business meeting, only to have someone's cell phone start ringing with an incoming call, email, or social media notification. It can be terribly annoying and frustrating when such a thing happens. The same can be said about ringing cell phones at movie theaters, family gatherings, and yes, even weddings.

Because mobile phones provide a constant avenue for communication, they can interrupt at the most inconvenient of times, under the most inconvenient of circumstances. It turns out that this doesn't even stop with the brief notification itself as this can leave a lingering detrimental effect on productivity too.

A study found that subjects performed poorly on a focused task when they were interrupted with a text notification or incoming call during the experiment; it broke concentration even if they didn't pick up the call.

Distracted Drivers

Because of this constant form of communication, people also feel compelled to keep communicating while behind the steering wheel. There are certainly many issues surround driving safety and cell phones and that's partly why the California cell phone law was introduced.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about nine people are killed every day in the United States in accidents involving a distracted driver. This is in addition to over 1,000 injuries daily.

In the Canadian province of British Columbia, more people are killed due to distracted driving than impaired driving . Even though most people agree that using a handheld phone while behind the steering wheel is dangerous, nearly four in 10 drivers say they use their phone in at least 10 percent of trips.

Negative Impact on Personal Contact

The stereotype depicts a teenager at the dinner table, completely disinterested in family time, instead of being completely occupied with social media and mobile messenger apps. This also happens to be a problem at school. Cell phones may dehumanize the dynamics of human contact. Some people may not know how to interact in real life anymore, preferring the safety and comfort of a well-timed text.

Drawing back to the point of never-ending interruptions, cell phones can also detract from personal contact at business meetings, casual outings, and other get-togethers. Even when people meet face-to-face, they tend to bury their faces in their phones. According to MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle, 89 percent of Americans took out their phone during their last social interaction and 82 percent say that had a detrimental effect on the conversation.

Cell phones take away from the intimacy and connectedness of romantic relationships too with 75 percent of women  stating that these devices are "ruining their relationships" and "interfering with their love lives." Nearly half of participants in a Baylor University studyindicated that their partners used or were distracted by their phones while in their company and about a quarter said this "caused conflict in their relationships." As a result, people can feel jealous of their partner's phone.

Health Effects

Although the dangers of cell phone towers have not been officially confirmed or refuted, there is certainly some evidence that points toward tumors caused by cell phones. When you consider what are the disadvantages of mobile phones, perhaps the greatest negative impact could be the effects mobile phones may have on a person's health.

Among the negative health effects associated with proximity to cell phone towers are DNA damage, sleeplessness, eye cancer, infertility, cardiac problems, and chronic fatigue.

In the case of college students, 90 percent sleep with their phones on or next to them, 70 percent say they don't get enough sleep, and 50 percent say they feel tired during the day. Cell phones can suppress melatonin, alert the brain (rather than allow it to rest), and harm both the quantity and quality of sleep.

Bottomless Money Pit

Cell phones have become just as much a form of function as they've become a form of fashion. Many enthusiasts and regular people alike feel compelled to "upgrade" their mobile phones on a very frequent basis, as often as once a year or more. Whenever there is a new iPhone, people line up around the block to spend upward of $1,000 on the device.

These enthusiasts will want a different phone next month as well as all the accessories and peripherals that may go along with it. Cell phones can be a very expensive hobby, especially if they are upgraded more often than every two or three years. One writer for Time said he saved $20,000 to $30,000 for skipping out on the iPhone for 10 years.

Cell phone bills continue to grow too. About three-fifths of Americans spend more than $100 per month and 21 percent spend more on their phone bill than on groceries.

Mobile Phones Aren't All Bad

With the average American spending an average of two to four hours every day on their phone, it is important to consider the disadvantages of mobile phones. At the same time, it would be unfair to paint the cell phone industry under such a negative air. These devices provide a great level of convenience and safety to those who use them, and they can substantially improve the productivity of workers too. However you feel about mobile phones, one thing is clear. They're here to stay and they'll continue to play a very prominent role in everyday life.