To the editor:

I am writing in response to the “Should Mt. Hope High School be a phone-free zone?” article that ran in the Bristol Phoenix and Warren Times-Gazette in late January.

As a high school educator, I see cell phones turning our youth into self-absorbed, socially inept drones. The devices are the cause of bullying, hooking up to skip class and other nonsense. They take away from learning, productivity, and proper (aka face-to-face) social interactions, and can lead to addiction, and feelings of isolation and depression.

Our school has a “no cellphone in the classroom policy”. The students are well aware of this protocol, yet they need to be told to put the devices away every day ad nauseam. During class, they hide them from teachers and are not paying attention. This addictive behavior is a detriment to student learning, their futures, and the future of our society as a whole.

While walking the halls, I have seen students videotaping fights and meaningless TikTok videos. And, I am not sure why, but parents text their children during the school day. I was shocked when one of my students told me that she is on her phone for more than eight hours a day. Now, how is that any good for a person’s physical and mental health? Other students come to school exhausted. Why? They tell me they are not sleeping because they are on their phones playing games until all hours of the night.

I agree that cell phones have some benefits. But, there is a time and place for everything. This is a life lesson that should be taught at home. If families are footing the bill for cell phones, they need to monitor cellphone usage at home, stop enabling, and support their child’s education. So what’s the bottom line? There is no need for cell phones in schools. Take them out of the equation, and our youth and future will be in better hands.

Patricia E. Chalmers
Bristol