School cellphone ban upheld by New York court
[Via CNET, image courtesy of MSNBC]
[Via CNET, image courtesy of MSNBC]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Big R. @ Apr 26th 2008 9:05PM
Wow, I remember when Zack Morris was the ONLY kid in school with a Cell phone (and that was on TV). Now kids can't survive without them? Amazing.
jonathan @ Apr 26th 2008 9:40PM
No one's saying they can't survive without them.
But in a world of kidnapping, murders and terrorism, the technology exists. It's silly to not use it and be prepared.
There are plenty of stories about how a cellphone's gps or a phone call has saved students lives. There are also stories about how camera phones have been the sole reason police could find the criminals.
But no. They're "a disturbance" in the class room. The schools refuse to make the rule, "Have it off. If we see it on, then we take it away." Nope. Banned for all, for no real reason.
It's ridiculous.
Yuri @ Apr 26th 2008 10:20PM
Parents still come in and scream and cry and blame the school for taking their precious little Bobby/Susie's cellphone.
Face it, it's never going to go anyone's way.
I agree to this rule. I keep my cellphone in my locker. Who the hell needs to text during class? It's the kid's own damn fault for being a dumbass and not just getting their shit done and talking to said kid when the damn passing bell rings within an hour at max.
I agree that this increases harassment. While I think it's not going to stop it, I've gotten those texts when turning on my phone with the rumors and shit about other students.
I hate cellphones in school, and I'm still in school. It's annoying as fuck to listen to about a dozen phones click away at once, and the ringing and vibrating. A teacher confiscates a phone, the kid cries, and the parent hears a total blatant lie and the kid gets their phone back, or else charges will be pressed.
It interferes with education MY education has been interfered with, kids get to cheat on tests I've had to work and study for, the constant ringtones, and the noise. The annoying txt talk in the fucking papers I have to edit for school. Do you even realize how many students are unable to actually write out "you" anymore? We just did a research paper and I had to peer edit 5 papers. Only 1 of the 5 actually contained normal English Grammar. English isn't even my native language and I do better than these phone nuts.
Ugh this topic always makes me mad. Lazy, spoiled kids is the result of this.
Evan @ Apr 27th 2008 1:43AM
"Lazy, spoiled kids is the result of this."
You grammar Nazi you.
Andrew Fong @ Apr 26th 2008 9:47PM
>> it restated just how many incidents had been reported where mobiles were used for harassment on school grounds
Because clearly, harassment at school would never occur without cellphones
Darkest Daze @ Apr 27th 2008 12:07AM
Just like how murders only started after video games were created.
Andre @ Apr 27th 2008 2:06AM
Ugh. So stupid. I carry my cellphone with me ALL the time, but only use it in class when I'm either a) done with the required materials or b) in study hall. Most the second one. A school should not be able to take away a phone simply because teachers are too lazy to enforce rules within their class. Some people are responsible with their phones and they should not be punished for some idiot wanting to gossip over text.
This is like confiscating all notebook paper because kids can write notes to each other and harass them with it.
eseiber @ Apr 27th 2008 8:20AM
We had a couple incidents here in Illinois/Iowa where huge fights were started due to cell phone texts. I wish they would ban them here. My daughter got in trouble a couple years ago with hers during school and I had to make her give it to me every morning. She could call me on the school phone if she needed me.
Jason Peterson @ Apr 27th 2008 12:32PM
I agree with the NY courts on this. Cell phones should NOT be allowed to be used during class. I don't think that students should have to turn their phones in every day, but it is what it is. Sadly, too many times the many will pay for the actions of the few.
The problem with phones in schools is not that people have a communication line to home or something like that. No. The problem is that cell phones are distracting. Most kids think that their cell phones are just toys and they sit and text about nothing, or they play cell phone games, or they are on the internet instead of paying attention to class. The truth is, students DO NOT need to have cell phones in school to funtion, live, or learn.
I have no problem with a kid having a phone in their pocket in case they need to call home, or in case someone is harassing them, but that never happens. If kids actually carried cell phones purely for this reason, they would NOT take them out unless they actually needed to call home, and this issue would never have gone to court.
And to clarify one last issue I have regarding cell phones: There is no such law, amendmant or any other legal document that says that Americans have a right to carry cell phones. That is why it is legal for government buildings, hospitals, or any public place for that matter to prohibit the use of cell phones on their property. If I use my cell phone at a hospital, and security wants to confinscate it until I leave, there is no law that says they cannot take my phone.
elgee02 @ Apr 27th 2008 2:20PM
I was probably one of the last graduating classes (2002) where less than 5-10% of the student population had a cellphone. I seem to remember we all survived, I don't see why the hell these kids can't.
Fitte @ Apr 27th 2008 3:06PM
Because they are whiny little bitches.
D @ Apr 27th 2008 5:15PM
"The schools refuse to make the rule, "Have it off. If we see it on, then we take it away." Nope. Banned for all, for no real reason."
Right, but the reality is that if that were the case, teachers would spend the first 10 minutes of every class rounding up all the cell phones kids refuse to turn off. If they have it, they'll use it. And frankly, teachers have enough problems to worry about already, they could use to have this one solved for them.
You can't look at a cell phone as a tool (how adults look at it), you have to look at it as a toy (which is how kids think of it). And if a kid has a toy in his pocket, he's going to play with it every chance he gets -- unless you take it away from him while it's time to work.
Andrew @ Apr 27th 2008 9:28PM
"I hate cellphones in school, and I'm still in school. It's annoying as fuck to listen to about a dozen phones click away at once, and the ringing and vibrating. A teacher confiscates a phone, the kid cries, and the parent hears a total blatant lie and the kid gets their phone back, or else charges will be pressed."
Maybe you just have annoying kids in your school. I can honestly say i dont have this problem in any of my classes.
Not saying its a HUGE deal, but i read somewhere kids get separation anxiety when their cell phones are taken away as it is such a huge part of their lives. I have indeed had my phone taken away from texting when i was supposed to be working on a project but hadn't started just yet. I use my phone for communicating enough that it just felt weird and wasnt able to get as much work done and when i got it back i just felt more comfortable i guess. Sad, but very true for many people i know.
I'm a senior in high school and i think one of the best ideas i've heard is just to have an open policy about it. Let kids have it, give them time to use it. Like allowing cell phone use at lunch. Kids text, thats how it is. Give them time to use it and when they use it outside of that time, crack down on it. And teachers know nearly 90% of the kids have cell phones, so when they take a test, make them turn it off and put it on their desk. If it is on their desk, they can't cheat. Yeah, you could still say you didnt have your phone, but we all know cheating helps no one.
There may be other very good reasons as cell phones may not be a good idea in school, but giving a BS excuse like harassment and such is a joke. However, i think it is too much a part of society for kids these days so i think banning them is stupid.
FALee @ Apr 28th 2008 4:02AM
what did we do when there wasn't cellphones in our days? i could agree students carry cellphones for emergency used only, i could agree no cellphones in classrooms. it's a distraction, nonetheless. i'm now kind of fed up and regret giving my son a cellphone in the first place. if not the grandparents kept nagging me, i wouldn't let him has one. waste of money and time. siiiiigh... my son can text his friends lots of words, but just an OK reply when i text him when something important to let him know. what becomes of our kids? i wonder??? are we the ancient ones or they are too sophisticated? i still couldn't accept the fact that now you get wishes via text. no more verbal wishes!!! what's so hard to wished us in our face that today is our anniversary or birthday? geez...
sprint employee @ Apr 28th 2008 11:13AM
Emergencies my big fat ass. Crime, these idiots so-called 'terrorism', and kidnapping are no bigger a threat now than they were 15 years ago when I was in high school. My class had all of 3 people with cell phones and they had to say in our cars because if we brought them inside they were TAKEN. School's still have phones don't they? Surely there's telephones in school's now, yes? There's your emergency lines you naive wimp-tards.
Bottom line, you can lay any argument down you want, cell phones don't belong in schools. And to the poster that said he has separation anxiety when his precious cell phone gets taken.... LMFAO!!! Get a freakin' grip on life man!!! If there's more of you than I pity each and every one!! That's pathetic.
Chris Turpin @ Apr 29th 2008 3:44AM
I agree cell phones should NOT be used during class. At all. It's annoying.
However, on one hand, this ban will likely do little to affect things. Out here where I live, the Mount Diablo School District enacted a ban on Cell phones (And probably since I graduated, iPods as well). People who were determined managed to get away with bringing in their cell phones; they were just a lot more sly with them. Others used loopholes, such as saying that their cell phones were music players (which, in turn, could NOT be taken away).
Some teachers also encouraged the use of phones, such as a few economics projects where we had to phone up banks to ask questions about property loans and what not.
Phones are supposed to be tools, not playthings. Phones do have uses, but texting and in general screwing off with them in class is not one of them.