March 3rd, 2011

Dear TEACHER_NAME,

In present day, technology is taking over our world.

Every teen you know has a cell phone, and they use them 24/7.

If they're used outside of school, I feel that's enough time to use them.

School is a time that prepares you for your life, and teaches you the things you need to know in order to have a successful life.

So, school is not a time to be absorbed into some technical unit that pulls you away from your social skills and life.

Allowing cell phones would distract the middle school students, take away their social skills, and cause even more unwanted gossip.

First of all, cell phones just distract teens from learning.

When at home, students use their phones instead of doing homework.

In school, a few students even break the rules in order to text their friends during class.

During the free periods, all you would see would be cell phones.

Hear them ringing, vibrating, and beeping.

Some students, after this time for using them is up, probably wouldn't put them away.

They'd just assume it was ok to use them in class, even if they were told they weren't allowed to.

Even after told, a lot of teens would probably still try to use their phones during class time.

So, this would distract them from learning.

Middle school students, eighth graders especially, would be too busy trying to hide their phones during class.

They wouldn't pay attention, so they wouldn't learn anything, and then they would fail.

Which, of course, wouldn't be good for your school's representation.

If the school board heard that students kept failing classes because of cell phones, they'd probably blame you for being the one who changed the policy.

Second, students wouldn't be as sociable.

With cell phones in their hand during their free times, students would just text each other.

So, it would be silent.

As you should know, it is very important to have good social skills in life.

Without them, you won't be able to land a good job, or meet new people.

By allowing cell phones during their free time, students would just use their phones, texting the people sitting right next to them.

Instead of talking, eighth graders would be absorbed in their phones, and wouldn't pay attention to each other.

This would cause a whole new problem.

When students don't pay attention to each other, they may lose valuable friendships.

If you were just beginning to become friends with someone, but didn't have their cell phone number yet, then you may never become friends with them.

When eighth graders are absorbed into their phone, texting someone, nothing else really matters.

So, their social skills and being able to talk without stuttering or saying "um" every two words wouldn't matter.

That's how our generation would turn out if cell phones were allowed.

Lastly, it would cause gossip.

If everyone was allowed to use their cell phones during their free periods, then the students without cell phones would feel left out.

Allowing cell phones would cause a whole new gossip problem.

As I said before, students would be absorbed in their phones during their free time.

So, students who don't have cell phones would be left out of all the conversations.

Since everyone else is using their phone, that one student would be ignored and would sit there, bored and alone.

For all you know, the other people at the table who have cell phones could be gossiping about that one person.

Not having a cell phone is a big deal in eighth grade especially, since just about everyone has one.

If everyone else in the room are using their phones, then that one person who doesn't have a cell phone would most definitely be talked about.

They're self-confidence would be crushed, and they'd probably feel pretty bad about themselves all because of the cell phone policy.

Overall, cell phones are just a distraction in school.

Teens get to use them at home, so why bring them into school?

If it distracts them from learning well, causing them to possibly fail, there is no point in making them happy by giving them cell phone rights in school.

Cell phones are meant for emergencies, not to be used when you're trying to learn or show respect to the teachers.

So, they should be off and in your locker.

TEACHER_NAME, you should NOT allow cell phone to be used in school.

Sincerely,

STUDENT_NAME