When I started my freshman year of high school, I was unbelievably excited. I couldn’t wait to choose my own classes, meet new people, go to football games, and participate in all the fun events. I imagined my daily life as incredibly sociable. I pictured myself always chatting to friends about new things. I was excited to wave to my friends when passing them in hallways, chat with them by our lockers, and exchange review answers before class. However, this wasn’t the case. On my first day of freshman year, I walked into my English classroom, excited to meet my new classmates for the year, but instead I was met with a room full of zombies. 
Everyone in the room was hunched over with dry mouths hanging open, sunken grey eyes, and a glowing blue screen in front of them. I paused, looked around, then took a seat. I glanced around the room, trying to find my friends, but instead was met with their ghosts. The rest of my day was exactly the same. I would travel from class to class, attempting to talk to my friends, but always losing the battle to a little metal box. This was new from last year, back when phone usage in school was prohibited. I felt like my school had been taken over by robots, though I guess in some ways it had. Even at school events, everyone had to bring their favorite technological companion. The phone war sparked an argument inside of me: Should phones be allowed in schools? This was no new thought, as over the years I have heard many arguments surrounding this topic. However, I have yet to hear someone in my position, a student, advocate for this topic.
When the transition from eighth grade to high school began, everyone was excitedly talking about all the new things we could do in high school. The main one being the ability to use our phones in class. When my teachers brought up this subject, all the kids would rush to tell them how phones can be a good tool for learning and education assistance. However, I knew this wasn’t true. Yes, phones can be helpful in school, but so can computers and tablets. Why do we need our phones for that? The truth is that people just want to use their phones to text and play games. Yes, they can help us learn and they can be used in emergencies. But there are other resources to prioritize if these events occur. To prove we didn’t need phones, I tried not to use my phone for a whole day. The results came in: I couldn’t do it.
I felt left out, with all my friends sharing videos and playing games with one another. Finally, my verdict was reached, and I decided that phones should stay in schools. However, we need to get the usage under control. Kids are constantly on their phones, whether they are in the hallways or taking a test, they are constantly mashing buttons. I think we need to help kids get their phone usage under control. Maybe we need to place bans on using phones in hallways or place stronger restrictions on phones in classrooms. I believe that if we can get phones under control, then people will be more connected and communitive with each other. You can help! Next time you are walking with a friend in the hallway, put your phone down and ask how their day was. Share a snack with someone at your lunch table instead of a TikTok. We don’t need to ban phones completely, but limiting our everyday usage will improve the lives of students at Lincoln Way West.
