The ups and downs of owning a phone

Image of Instagram on a phone charging (Sean Gubera, The Puma Prensa)

By Sean Gubera, staff writer, and, Nick Gross, staff writer

For

At the very least there were aspects of life that were simpler before phones. For example, when hanging out with friends it’s easier to be more focused on each other without the distraction of a phone. Texts, Instagram notifications, emails, or Google Classroom notifications interrupt whatever’s happening at the moment and takes your focus away. I find that just seeing my phone sitting out in front of me is a distraction because it leads me to think about things that aren’t immediately important. It takes away from little moments in life, sucking up time like a little boxed vampire.

Just take a look at your screen time. According to a 2019 report from Common Sense Media, teenagers spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes on their phone per day (disregarding time for school work). That time could be spent on other things like homework or other activities that are more fun and satisfying. Try going on a walk, meeting up with friends, or getting your homework done early. It’s a much better feeling to be productive than waste time looking at social media apps or video games. Think about how you will feel when you look back on your high school years. Will it feel better to have a lot of memories sitting looking at a small screen or experiencing what life has to offer?

A few weeks ago, I’d personally forgotten my phone at home while rushing to school. At first I was a little frustrated because I thought I’d need it for various things throughout the day like a metronome in band or to quickly look up something for class, but as the day went on I realized there were more benefits than drawbacks. It allowed me to be more focused, more productive, and less stressed about things that weren’t relevant to the school work I was doing. With new AI technology like Open AI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard chatbot, any device with internet connection has become an even bigger threat to academic honesty.

To be clear, I don’t think that everyone should ditch their phones completely. They’re still a practical way to connect with other people, find directions, look up information, and take a quick picture. What I do think is that it’s important to keep in perspective that there are a lot of aspects of phones that take away from our daily lives as well. We’re better off the less we use them and the more we disconnect.

Against

It may seem that phones aren't good for keeping you on task at school or helping with other daily activities, but you'd be wrong. They have many useful features that students and people can utilize.

As you are going about your day, phones allow you to socialize via text message or phone call. Phones make communication with others much easier than trying to find them in person to talk to. Not only do you need to talk to people, there are many times during the day when being able to capture the moment would be great. With your phone you don't need a camera, its small portable size allows you to have it inside your pocket until you need it. You can quickly pull it out and take the picture or videos you need to look at later.

Phones do have many convenient factors other than just their portable size that make them a good thing to have with you throughout the day. You can set reminders, timers, or notifications so you don't have to stress about small little things that are easy to forget. You can call a ride or order food that can be sent to your house. There's also maps for directions and access to your bank account or credit cards to pay for things when you are on the go and don't have your wallet.

Not only does it relieve stress from small tasks you have in the future, but it also allows your mind to relax. According to a study at University California Irvine, they found that the use of phones during tough situations can relieve stress. Videos or games on your phone can help take your mind off stressful situations and keep you calm. Junior Brayden Kamler said, “Watching Insta reels is a good way to relax after a hard day at school.”

Even though phones may be a major distraction at school, their conveniences outweigh the negative and make them an important thing to have with you throughout your day.