What was the first thing you grabbed when you woke up this morning? What was the last thing you were on before you went to bed? The answer to both of these questions is probably your phone.  Do you feel the urge to check your phone even if you know there will not be any notifications to check? Are you unable to go over an hour without checking your phone? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are addicted to your phone.

According to Networkworld.com, it is estimated that we touch our phones over 2000 times a day, and contact people in some way 200-300 times using our phones. Teenagers spend an average of three hours on their phones in a day, which is almost twice as much as they watch tv. We are more connected with our phones than our loved ones. We take our smartphones everywhere we go, even to the bathroom. Phone usage at all ages has gone up dramatically as time has has marched on.  Allison Berryhill has seen these problems first hand. “My daughter went on a trip to Spain with some friends, and every picture she sent me I noticed all of her friends were on their phones instead of looking at Spain,” Berryhill said.

It is not a secret that children and young adults are addicted to their phones. But why is this such a problem? Studies have shown that every 100 hours on a smartphone increases your chances of getting brain cancer. Staring at your phone can do serious long-term damage to your eyes.  If that isn’t enough, your phone can cause mental illnesses. When a phone addict is away from their phone for just four hours, they experience depression and anxiety. Still not convinced? Your cell phone could keep you from being socially active.  Ten percent of America’s population will ruin a relationship, or lose a job due to their excessive phone use. The average GPA of high school students has gone down 12 percent since 2012, much of the blame going to smartphones.  

Cell phone usage has directly affected Atlantic High School. Just last summer, a movement was put forward to the school board to ban cell phones in AHS classrooms. Although cell phones were not banned, many teachers still choose to not allow phones in their classrooms. Others, like Terry Hinzmann, choose to take daily points away from students if they are on their phones too much during class. Hinzmann often tells his class that most of the points he takes away during class is because of kids getting out their phones, and that they need to have more self-discipline. “There are kids failing my class because they are always on their phones,” Hinzmann said.  Many teachers agree with Hinzmann, that kids do not have the self control to not use their phone, and it is affecting their learning.

It seems that the rules at Atlantic High School will not change, but after hearing all of these facts, do you think they should? That’s for you to decide.