Phone use: East students swipe their lives away
December 17, 2018
Students are using their phones now more than ever during school hours.
In a random survey of more than 120 young adults, 40.8% said they use their phones at least 4-5 hours per day; only 24.6% said they use their phones 2-3 hours per day, and a whopping 23.8% use their phones more than 5 hours per day! According to mobilestatistic.com, if you spend just 90 min a day on your phone you will end up wasting 23 days of your life of that year. Meaning if you live to the average 71.5 death age you will end up with 4 years of your life looking down into a cellphone screen.
On a side note, I had to have a survey of at least 100 people before my journalism class (4th hour) and I still hadn’t even completed the questions that would be due in 3 hours. I completed a 3 question survey and within an hour of posting it on my personal social media I had received more than 120 responses from young adults. This made me realize how many students actually are on their phones during school and how much attention they give to their phone rather than class.
“I don’t expect them to not be on their phones because that is not realistic, but to put it simple it impacts students negatively. Students should use it as a reward not reward themselves constantly. [Students] do better when they use their phones when they have time,” Mr. Sorenson, a Morton East math teacher, said.
Young people, adults, and elders are swiping their lives away. Americans are using their phones now more than ever, in a random survey of over 180 Americans, 67.8% of people with cellphones in the last 5 years are using their phone now more than they did 5 years ago.
“I’ve soon come to realize that even though I have easier access to my phone, and it has been a source of communication, it has become a bitter sweet influence in my life. Looking back 5 years ago I see that I am more on my phone than ever before coming to the point where I have become addicted,” said Kathia Ramirez a college student at College of Dupage.
According to eMarketer.com, an average American spent 3 hours 24 min on their phone in 2017 while in 2018 an average American spends 3 hours 35 min on their phone, an 11 min increase a day.
“My sister is in Kindergarten and already has computers in class. These kids will grow up not having social skills, but will have great skills on technology. It can be good, but I believe it will be worse for a kid’s future. Kids are becoming more addicted than ever,” said Hector Perez a Morton East student
Counting TV time, tablets, computers, and any other interaction with media, according to nypost.com, Americans are spending at least 11 hours a day involving all of media interaction. Yearly time on screens is increasing and kids going out to play is decreasing dramatically.
“I am a mother of two girls, and I hate the fact my daughters have so many electronics because of my husband. The 3 year old has an IPhone 6 and a tablet while the 6 year old has an IPhone XR and a tablet also. They use all of this while having the TV on, that they don’t even pay attention to one thing at a time. They don’t even listen to me anymore,” said Marilu a Melrose resident and mother.
You decide if you either want to waste your life looking down into your phone screen or go out into the beautiful world that there’s so much for us to explore and live for. Tell a person you love them instead of posting it on their timeline; capture a beautiful moment in your head by memory, instead of photographing it on Instagram. Now, go out and live your life to the fullest.
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Lydia Duarte • Jan 10, 2019 at 11:50 am
There is a time and place to be able to use phones and during class isn’t one of them. I’m not saying to not use technology at all because we do need it on certain occasions. For example in school, when books don’t necessarily carry the updated information needed, but your phone shouldn’t be distracting you every second. It’s understandable if you go on your phone to pick out music to listen to while your working. but not just look at your screen for the entire time, this is why we have passing periods and lunch/supervision to be on your phones. Heck, wait until school is over, it’s not that hard. Children are following our bad habits of being stuck on electronic devices because its all their surrounded by. This could probably damage their social skills but that’s why restricting them on the devices since they are still young and don’t fully understand the damage being done, as like teens and adults, we all know better than to just look down and spend times with our phones. but that depends on the person if they want to keep on living on social media and have a “fake” life. now a days, children don’t play games normally, for example in japan, students are still engaged in their schoolwork and treat themselves to virtual reality games its just a matter of time when that trend crosses over to the U.S
Jonathan Frutos • Jan 10, 2019 at 11:35 am
Most of the students pretty much always spends a lot of time on their phones during class because they always want to check their social media accounts to see if there something new going on in their accounts or just wants to see of what people have posted on the media. In the past, teachers have been confiscating students phones because it’s a complete distraction for students who are doing school assignments so in my opinion, teachers now needs to do the same thing like confiscating students phones so they get to do their assignments in peace with no distractions.
Andres • Jan 10, 2019 at 11:25 am
It’s alerting how the youth of society is normalizing spending such amounts of time on their devices. The 21st century has really brought about the positive functions technology can provide but there is also outweighing factors that are damaging the young adults social and communicative lives.
Good information overall!
Cesar Barajas • Jan 9, 2019 at 10:49 am
Nice work on showing students the negatives that come when using your phone in class that can effect your social life etc.
Super mario • Dec 20, 2018 at 11:33 pm
Good job my son
Mr. Sorensen • Dec 18, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Great work Izzy! Next time, spell check my name.