I'll Call You ...
Article in today's Star about banning cell phones in Toronto Schools:
I don’t get the debate on banning cell phones during class time in schools. I mean, we weren’t allowed to use calculators during math class in high school (yes, I am totally aging myself here!) or listen to our Walkman either, so why all of a sudden all the agony of whether to ban them or not? Who do kids need to call during class? Are parents really keeping tabs on their kids that frequently?
One kid whined that if they ban phones are cameras next since you can take a picture with a camera too (apparently today’s teens are smarter than they look!). I think we’re missing the point here. Cell phones today can take photos, video, text message, surf the net and play music, not just make calls. Digital cameras so far as I have seen can pretty much just take pictures and video. No Web access on mine, anyway! And parents are worried that they now won’t be able to remind their kids about dental appointments and such.
So I have to ask myself how is it that when I was a teen I somehow managed to remember to tell my folks what time my band practice was, if I was going to a friend’s house after school, make it to my dance class and dental appointments without my mommy calling me six times during the day to remind me?
Don’t get me wrong – I love my cell and never leave home without it, but in the same way I find people who Blackberry during meetings rude and distracting, cell phones during class time should be a no-no too.
I don’t get the debate on banning cell phones during class time in schools. I mean, we weren’t allowed to use calculators during math class in high school (yes, I am totally aging myself here!) or listen to our Walkman either, so why all of a sudden all the agony of whether to ban them or not? Who do kids need to call during class? Are parents really keeping tabs on their kids that frequently?
One kid whined that if they ban phones are cameras next since you can take a picture with a camera too (apparently today’s teens are smarter than they look!). I think we’re missing the point here. Cell phones today can take photos, video, text message, surf the net and play music, not just make calls. Digital cameras so far as I have seen can pretty much just take pictures and video. No Web access on mine, anyway! And parents are worried that they now won’t be able to remind their kids about dental appointments and such.
So I have to ask myself how is it that when I was a teen I somehow managed to remember to tell my folks what time my band practice was, if I was going to a friend’s house after school, make it to my dance class and dental appointments without my mommy calling me six times during the day to remind me?
Don’t get me wrong – I love my cell and never leave home without it, but in the same way I find people who Blackberry during meetings rude and distracting, cell phones during class time should be a no-no too.
posted by Sister Staceypatrick at
1:51 PM
|
9 comments
