The Dangers of Cell Phone Use
Emily Schneider
Mr. McBride
CP English 11
10 January 2011
Cell Phones Negatively Impacting High School Life Two-forty p.m. is probably the most anticipated time of the day for students during the school year. As soon as the final bell rings, students immediately reach into their pockets, backpacks, or purses and pull out their cell phones. One day, while leaving school, I witnessed a student furiously texting as she walked down the hallway, unaware of the door opening towards her. The door then slammed into her and knocked her off her feet, all because she was paying attention to her cell phone and not to where she was going. While most teenagers can probably relate to this story because of a similar experience, the utility and necessity of cellular communications in today’s society cannot be argued. Business people have also increasingly relied on cell phones for the development and success of their business ventures. Although individuals are relying more heavily on mobile communications, the use of these devices needs to be balanced with an understanding of the risks involved in their use. Cell phones can actually cause harm to their users in a variety of ways. In fact, cell phones are negatively impacting high school students due to the fact that students are practicing dangerous driving habits; they are demonstrating sloppy study skills; and may be exposing themselves to harmful radio waves, which studies suggest are emitted from these devices. Driving is one of the most dangerous daily activities that individuals engage in. One major factor that increases the risks of driving is driving while distracted. One of the biggest distractions in the car for high school students is their cell phones. It is said that a driver is four times more likely to experience a crash capable of injuring themselves while using their cell phones (Nationwide Insurance, “Driving”). Unfortunately this fact is overwhelming because at any one given second, ten percent of
Mr. McBride
CP English 11
10 January 2011
Cell Phones Negatively Impacting High School Life Two-forty p.m. is probably the most anticipated time of the day for students during the school year. As soon as the final bell rings, students immediately reach into their pockets, backpacks, or purses and pull out their cell phones. One day, while leaving school, I witnessed a student furiously texting as she walked down the hallway, unaware of the door opening towards her. The door then slammed into her and knocked her off her feet, all because she was paying attention to her cell phone and not to where she was going. While most teenagers can probably relate to this story because of a similar experience, the utility and necessity of cellular communications in today’s society cannot be argued. Business people have also increasingly relied on cell phones for the development and success of their business ventures. Although individuals are relying more heavily on mobile communications, the use of these devices needs to be balanced with an understanding of the risks involved in their use. Cell phones can actually cause harm to their users in a variety of ways. In fact, cell phones are negatively impacting high school students due to the fact that students are practicing dangerous driving habits; they are demonstrating sloppy study skills; and may be exposing themselves to harmful radio waves, which studies suggest are emitted from these devices. Driving is one of the most dangerous daily activities that individuals engage in. One major factor that increases the risks of driving is driving while distracted. One of the biggest distractions in the car for high school students is their cell phones. It is said that a driver is four times more likely to experience a crash capable of injuring themselves while using their cell phones (Nationwide Insurance, “Driving”). Unfortunately this fact is overwhelming because at any one given second, ten percent of
Cited: Lee, Nicole, Kent German. “Cell Phone Radiation Levels.” Cnet. 22 Dec. 2010. Web. <http://reviews.cnet.com/2719-6602_7-291-2.html?tag=rb_content;contentNav>. Whitney, Lance. “Cell Phone Subscriptions to Hit 5 Billion Globally.” Cnet. 16 Feb. 2010. Web. <http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-10454065-78.html>.