Cell phones are the most reliable devices. They help teenagers stay in contact with friends and family. When someone is threatened, they can call 911 in a flash. At the ages of eight through 10, children rely on them as a source of entertainment. Phones are upgrading year after year; however, these hand-held devices can be a distraction for some people.

Junior high school students use phones daily, either for research, listening to music, or checking their grades on Aeries. This becomes dangerous when they become absorbed in these electronics. In classrooms, during lessons, they get distracted by a little notification that light up the screen, and that’s partially the reason why students look at their phones. Primarily, it’s social media applications like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Another cause for the lack of focus is the fact that students are listening to the latest music of Lil Pump, Migos, or Cardi B. Canyon junior, Adrian Arellano, always had his phone with him at all times. After class, Arellano tends to get occupied with his device. Arellano said, “Whenever the teacher gives us free time, I get to go on my phone and check my Instagram. There’s always a funny post and I don’t want to miss it.”

Because students are often more enticed by the content on their phones than a new math lesson, teachers get irritated. The way they go about the problem is through having students place their phones on the teacher’s desk or in special pockets hung in the classroom, or by sending them to the office. Victor Valencia said, “When I see kids on their phones during class, I tell them to put it on my desk. Simple as that. It’s funny how teenagers would get so into their phones. If you told them to not check their phones for one minute, they wouldn’t last for a second.”

The truth is, we are all a little nomophobic. Being without our phone physically scares us, but it is important to realize that there is a whole world outside of our tiny devices, and we shouldn’t take it for granted.

*Images courtesy of Google Images