Although these problems are certainly very dangerous and serious, it is time to seriously consider whether we cannot find a way to contain these dangers while permitting the students to use cell phones in school. This matter has been a subject of hot debate for a long time. You must recognize the many positive sides about cell phones that exist despite their negative sides. Firstly, the most important advantage of using cell phones and also the biggest reason for which students want to use cell phones in school is because they want to be able to communicate with their parents and friends at school. This generation has become so used to being able to communicate anywhere that they want to do it even at school. Although there may be some problems with what some may call 'addiction to communication,' I suggest that we should accept it because this is caused by none other than the flow of time, and the innovation of technology which must effect the people in that period of time. If we do not open our gates to what is unavoidable, change may break our gates and we will have to accept that change. The consequences of forced change will be much worse than the consequences of change done freely. It is not only inevitable change that supports the argument of communication. In allowing the use of cell phones in school, the schools can achieve some economical gains, however minor. The students will not have to use the telephones installed by public taxes every time they have to contact their families.
Secondly, parents also want to check if their children are safe by using cell phones. Some parents attach GPS sensors on their children's cell phones to have their child's location and safety confirmed. They can ensure that they may know if their child is kidnapped by that method. There has been a case of a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Massachusetts being found by tracking the location of her cell phone. The aim of this GPS tracker is not only to keep children save but also to mount surveillance over their offspring should they be going into inadvisable areas with bad purposes. Parents can effectively exercise control over their children and find out about their life outside. This is quite a big educational advantage and one that can be universally accepted by anyone.
Thirdly, it is my idea that this can provide training to the students in resisting the temptation to do bad things. We may introduce restrictions about the use of cell phones and permit the student to use the cell phone only within the boundary of these rules. Thus, the students will have an experience in the area of self-control and when they step out into society later, they shall be armed against the temptation to fall into sins. This is like a sort of vaccine against future temptations which will increase the student's ability of self control. It is widely known that preventing a disease beforehand with vaccines is much better than treating a patient afterwards. It is the same thing with cell phones and future temptations. I have now given the good side of allowing students to use cell phones in school.
There is still another question: what to do about the disadvantages, the concerns. The most serious problem, to which schools are directly related, is that the students will use their cell phones dishonestly or illegally, or that they may cause problems in class. This problem can be solved by the introduction of disciplinary measures against the illicit use of cell phones such as its use during class hours or disruption of classes which include confiscation of the cell phones, notification to parents, etc. The school can also demand the parent of the student in possession of a cell phone and who wishes to be allowed to use them in school to take responsibility for the behavior of their child related to cell phones. We may also provide programs in which the school and the parents work together to monitor the student's use of the cell phone and prevent cell phone addictions. With this school-parent cooperation, we will be able to minimize the dangers of permitting the use of cell phones in school.
We may now judge that the advantages of using cell phones in school are greater than the disadvantages which can be effectively contained with the measures I have mentioned. I hope that you will find this letter serviceable. I would again like to request you to permit the use of cell phones at our school in order to guarantee free communication despite the threats of addiction. Thank you very much.
Joseph Owens, Seventh Grade
