The epidemic of cellphones

By Sophia Cardona

Cellphones, the epidemic of our generation, are falling into the hands of young ones. 

Cellphones have become an extension of the human body. Kids, now more than ever, are exposed to easy and quick access to technological devices which could have a negative impact on their well-being.  

Daniela Kotti, a math and science fifth grade teacher at Bartram Springs Elementary School, has been teaching for many years and has noticed a significant increase of young students with cellphones.  

“Many students nowadays have cellphones which are not allowed to be on while they are in the classroom,” Kotti said. 

Though Kotti does not allow the usage of phones in her classroom, she knows of teachers who do. 

“Some teachers allow students to use the phones for learning opportunities. Having access to the internet and educational apps, cell phones can provide students with a wealth of information at their fingertips,” she said. 

Kotti is aware of how phones are an easy distraction for many, including kids, which is why she implements fun ways to keep her students engaged.  

“I allow them to brainstorm their ideas with a partner and arrange group discussions,” Kotti said. “During class, I regularly test students to check their understanding. All my students are part of the learning process.” 

Kotti is a parent herself, she said there is no right age to give a kid a phone, but she does think there are important measures that can be taken to assure a kid’s safety and well-being. 

“There are parental control apps that parents can use to manage their child’s phone. Also, it comes down to the maturity of your child and not just the age,” she said.  

Because of her position, she has experienced first-hand how phones can disrupt learning. 

“I do think that technology has a role in the child’s concentration. When you are older you can understand how technology can be distracting to you but when you are young you don’t,” Kotti said. 

Kotti would advise other parents to have a conversation with their children before handing them a phone. 

“I would let them know to have a talk with their child about usage, websites, life events and to learn and become familiar with the parent control apps that are out there,” she said. 

Emily Splane, a psychology professor at Flagler College, has a background in neuroscience and behavioral science.  

Splane believes that phones can become an issue for anybody no matter their age. One of the biggest issues is sleep. Having a light source on a person’s face in the evening disrupts the levels of the sleeping chemical. 

“As the sun goes down, there is a hormone that makes us feel sleepy and it’s melatonin, our sleeping chemical, so the hormone levels go up and we feel tired, and as the sun goes up the hormone levels go down and we feel more awake,” she said.  

The effect light sources, specifically cellphones, have on the hormones of the brain could affect the mental development of children. 

“Not only is it a light source, it’s putting thought in our heads,” Splane said. 

Another big issue Splane finds in phones is bullying and its effects on mental health. Bullying has changed and became more constant due to cellphones and social media. 

“Back in the day, bullying has always existed. But when we went home, generally, bullying stayed outside,” she said. 

She said that cellphones could also affect physical health. Eating disorders are nothing new but social media has certainly played a big role in this topic. 

“The images that we see constantly, they were there at my age, it was just magazines but you guys have them popping up on your faces more so. I could choose to pick up a magazine or not,” Splane said. 

In social media, it is easy to alter the way you look and these alterations can lead other people to compare themselves to unrealistic and highly edited images.  

Sasha Davis, mom of an 11-year-old, did something many would not agree with, she gave her son his first phone at age seven.  

“Sometimes when things happen at school, kids don’t always feel comfortable going to a teacher so I wanted him to feel like he could reach me at any time,” Davis said. 

Many people would find a 7-year-old to be too young to have a cellphone, but Davis said that as long as she took the right measures she knew this would not affect him in a negative way.  

“I don’t think it’s wise to give a kid a phone without parental control when they are that young because there are so many things in the internet that could harm them without them searching for it,” she said. 

Davis said giving cellphones to children is a tough choice parents have to make at some point. 

“Their health and well-being are always the most important factors that need to be taken into account,” Davis said.