Letter to the editor: The up side of phones in schools

While the editorial “Are cellphone bans the right move for schools?” (Sept. 10, TribLive) does a good job at expressing both sides of the argument, it neglects the potential usefulness of phones for students.

Many students use their phones as an educational tool. They take pictures of classwork on whiteboards, as well as other school work, which is more efficient than having to write down whatever was written. Also, students can use their phones to create reminders to complete assignments and organize their work the way they see fit.

Moreover, banning phones might disproportionately affect students who rely on them for personal matters such as staying in touch with their parents, especially those with complex family situations. Restricting access can lead to unwanted stress for students.

Phones are not going away, so we must adapt to their usage in school and not outright ban them.

Brian Hensista

Mars

The writer is a student at North Allegheny High School.