Mikaylah Vindas, Reporter
@MVindascourant
How often do you check your phone while studying? Once? Twice? Three times? In the digital age, adults and especially students, are becoming addicted to cell phone use. In an article by the New York Post, it was found that “Americans tend to check their phone every 12 minutes on average, burying their heads in their phones 80 times a day.” With this in mind, there is no doubt that teens have felt the effects of cell phone addiction.
Janet Reed, the school nurse, met with the Courant to discuss the implications of cell phones in students’ lives.
“I have kids tell me that one reason they don’t sleep well is because they are checking their phone at night. It highlights the parts of your brain that should be sleeping. It also interferes with pathways that allow sustained attention if you’re training yourself to check this and look at that, that’s the creepy thing.”
Sleep is crucial to good performance in school, and by not getting the right amount of sleep, students are harming their own academic performance. Josie Davie, a school nurse, knocks down a common misconception that teenagers only need 7-8 hours of sleep.
“Sleep is so important, particularly for the teenage growing brain, and its not 7 or 8 hours, it’s 9 to 10. It can affect how you learn and how you process information.” says Nurse Josie.
Although it seems insignificant, the two hour time difference has a tremendous effect on academic performance.
While cell phones might be a harm to most teens, it is still an important factor to learning and safety in schools.
“Now one of the reasons we have phones here is 9/11 in 2001. What they were finding in 2001 is not that many students had cell phones, it was not that common. It was a wonderful way to communicate between families and for emergencies, it opened the door to students having phones.” Says Nurse Reed.
Cell phones are needed to communicate for the safety of teenagers and are beneficial for keeping up with technologically advanced learning systems. However, it is still important to find a middle ground to prevent overstimulation. When discussing ways to keep away from the phone while studying, Nurse Kim Bean says “Put it away, turn it off while you’re doing your homework.” While it might not seem to be a big factor, the time spent on your phone can make a difference in your academic performance and overall well-being.
