Having a mobile phone is a boon or bane? We use mobile phones for almost everything now. Mobile phones indeed make our lives easy and convenient. Gone are the days when we used them for only calling. Now, our lives revolve around it. They came in use for communicating through voice, messages and emails. They are a blessing only till we use them correctly. When we use them for more than a fixed time, they become harmful to us. The phones of this age are known as smartphones. They are less than computers and sometimes even more but they have replaced computers and laptops. We carry out all the tasks through mobile phones which we initially did use our computers. Loaded with mind-invigorating content, we get information on any given topic. Mobile phones are very beneficial, but at the same time, there is a load of disadvantages too. Did you ever know the effects of mobile phones on students life?
Subsequently, phones waste a lot of time. Students get distracted by them easily and spend hours on their phones. They do not do their work and focus on using their phones. Here is a list of the effects of mobile phones on students.
Distraction
A cell phone is the main cause of distraction in class. During a lesson, students who use a cell phone in class will get distracted and also they waste their time instead of understanding the lesson. Not only students who use their cell phones will get distracted, but also the students in the class will be influenced by the students who use cell phones in class. Consequently, they will receive a low grade and get failure.
Health issues
RF radiation from the mobile phone has the biological effect of raising the temperature in a localised area of the brain by a fraction of a degree. Eyesight gets affected when they constantly stare at their mobile phone and students have difficulty in reading. Scientists have reported other health effects of using mobile phones including changes in brain activity, reaction times, and sleep patterns.
Anxiety
Studies have shown that excessive use of mobile phones can lead to anxiety and feelings of loneliness. A reliance on mobile phones can also cause irritation, frustration and impatience. Using a bright mobile phone before bed delays the release of the sleep hormone, melatonin, thus affecting our sleep.
Poor academic performance
Some students use mobile phones so much that they start to neglect their studies. They spend the majority of their time accessing social networking websites, chatting with friends, watching movies, listening to songs, and doing other useless activities that they don’t get time to study. This ultimately gets them a low grade and destroys their career.
Malpractice
When students use a mobile phone without any limitation, they fail to prepare for their exams. However, to pass the exams, they use a mobile phone to answer the questions instead of answering straight from their brain. They do not realise that the simple act of having a mobile phone on them while taking an exam is a breach of the rules and therefore malpractice, which would spoil their future career.
Bad posture
When students sit on a mobile phone at once can slowly take their bodies out of alignment. If they text incessantly, they may develop a text neck, which is a condition in which their neck is a bend in too much flexion, or forward bending, for too long. This may lead to pain and cause bad posture.
Immoral activities
Nowadays we all have our personal mobile phones, especially students. They won’t allow their parents to check their children’s activities on their mobile phones. They can easily access immoral activities through their mobile phones because the internet is full of moral and immoral content. Students especially watch some immoral contents which affect their moral values.
Lack of family time:
Students are being connected to the world yet totally isolated from their families at the same time. These days it feels like students rarely get to connect with the people who care about them because they are too busy on their mobile phones. There are a lot of impacts mobile phones create in a close relationship.
Addiction
Addiction is one of the most dangerous effects of mobile phones on students. The addiction to using mobile phones is called nomophobia. In this kind of mental disorder, a person can’t stop himself from using mobile phones. They can’t imagine their selves without having a mobile phone. They can’t spend even a few minutes without checking their mobile phone. Loneliness, anger, tension, irritability and depression of people are the symptoms of mobile phone addiction.
Cyberbullying
Research shows that many students got cyberbullied by using mobile phones. Some students are using mobile phones to treat and bully their fellows and friends for entertainment. It can put their lives in danger. Research shows that most cyberbullied people attempt suicide.
How to regulate the use of mobile phones in the home
Keep your child engage
When parents forced children to stay indoors they are hooked to gadgets like mobile phones. So try to keep your child engaged in outdoor play activities. To prevent this from happening, take your child out to the park or nearby playground to spend time or take them on a regular walk to explore the wonders of nature.
Restrict the use
As smartphones are now an inseparable part of our lives, it is difficult to keep them away from children. Therefore, make your child understand the rules around its usage. Discourage its use during mealtime, study house, bedtime, or when it’s time to go out to play.
Talk to your child
Talk to your child about what they like to watch. Let them describe the characters, and relate the story. Switch off the phone, and extend the experience by enacting the story.
Set password
It is not always possible for you to be around your child to dissuade them from using a mobile phone. In such a situation, technology can come to your rescue. Set a password on your phone so that your child cannot use it while you are away.
Set a good example
Many parents spend a lot of time on their smartphones. In such cases telling children to not use their mobile may not help, as they are bound to follow in their parent’s footsteps. So, be a good role model for your child by limiting your mobile phone usage.
Bond with your child
Although most parents lead very busy lives, it is important to take time for bonding with children. Engaging your child along with you in activities like doing simple science experiments, listening to music, reading and creative writing will make them feel valued and useful.
How to regulate the use of the mobile phone at school
As a pioneer in education, Greenfield International School doesn’t encourage students to use mobile phones at school. Here are our recommendations on the aspect.
Provide a cell phone agreement: Teachers should create a policy for their own classroom, that students cannot have their phones in use in class.
Keep students engaged: Teachers should plan appealing activities that incorporate experiments, cooperative learning, and other creative activities to engage the students in class.
Utilize positive reinforcement: Students could earn points or extra credit for keeping their phones in the proper location. Once the device is checked in, the students earn a point.
Use technology as a substitute: Teachers may also utilize whole-class technology through engaging subject-related videos or slide decks. These ideas will help give students their media fixes without the use of their cell phones.
Be active:
Teachers have to walk around the classroom. When a teacher is on the move, students will have less opportunity to pull out their phones. As teachers walk around, they may be monitoring the school work, but they can also glance at desks, or notice if students appear to be using a phone instead of doing their assigned tasks.
There are many ways to keep students involved and off their phones. It is getting harder as new technology, such as smartwatches, which are tied to phones, become more available. Still, our teachers are highly active to keep the students engaged in classroom teaching and helping the students to regulate the use of their mobile phones at school and at home.
Admissions open: Pre-KG to Grade XI for Academic Year 2023-2024
