High Phone Use Concerns

Cellphones can hinder learning to communicate well, writes Georgina Dawson in the College Herald, published as part of the New Zealand Herald.

You are likely to find one in every teenager's schoolbag, a vital tool in maintaining and developing a social network. But are these modern devices posing a health threat to children?

Mobile phones have recently become the ultimate user-friendly fashion accessory for teenagers in Australia and New Zealand, but this vast increase in phone use has been accompanied by concern about the possible health risks to users from radio frequency fields.

In addition to this, more and more children are relying on text messaging to avoid confrontations, whether it be because they are afraid of someone or just displeased. Either way, each time this occurs children are losing the ability to confront their peers face to face.

It could be that the next generation are totally incapable of solving relationship problems at all as their parents will be lacking the social skills to pass on.

Number block and phone safety features make anonymous calls easy for most high school pranksters. These facilities, designed to keep phone users safe, could be doing the opposite.

Students are using their phones solely for pleasure and along with the internet they are creating more potential dangers.

As these tiny, multi-coloured gadgets are so readily available it would be hard to forgo all use of them, especially as they help keep communication lines open at all times.

The number of cellphone users will continue to expand, with coverage connecting people all over the world.

It is important to consider the long-term damage these phones could be creating for children, both mentally and physically, preventing them from developing crucial interactive skills.

Mobile phones are also the source of every teacher's nightmare, as pupils are using their phones during class. The children are using them to source all sorts of information, from exam solutions to a friendly chat with classmates. At only 20 cents a message it almost begins to make sense.

The real problem, however, is calls during class.

The distinctive ringing tones echo throughout the classroom interrupting the rhythm and flow of the lesson, and when the student answers the call the concentration of the entire class has been lost.

I believe stricter monitoring in school is the answer - phones should be banned during school time and able to be used only after the bell rings at 3.30pm.