Are Cell Phones Ruining Kids Lives?

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Are cell phones ruining kids’ lives? While many people believe cell phones are helpful for kids, others might say that cell phones are very harmful. Cell phones can help kids communicate with their parents, help kids find important information, help kids with their learning, and help them enjoy games. On the other hand, cell phones can be harmful if overused or used inappropriately. Cell phone use can lead lack of sleep, less quality family time, lower grades in school, increased anxiety, exposure to dangerous content, and poor physical health. Cell phones can be harmful because they can prevent teens and children from getting high quality sleep. Cell phones can wake kids up, keep their brains awake, and suppress melatonin (www.sleep.org, Scary Ways Technology Affects Your Sleep). Melatonin is the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle. Cell phones emit a blue light from the screen, which restrains the production of melatonin. Cell phones can also …show more content…

According to an article on a research study in Social Psychology, if a student even has a phone next to them they have a hard time focusing because they may be waiting for a text (Social Psychology, January 2015). According to the study, students who had their cell phone on their desk (turned off), did 20% worse than students who put their cell phones in another room. Students feel like they have to check the phone constantly to see if they received a notification. This splits student’s attention and prevents them from paying attention in class. Cell phones can also impact grades because with these distractions student memory can be affected. Students need time to rest their brain and allow new learning to take place. In addition, student grades are negatively impacted because the temptation to be on your phone at home instead of studying or doing homework is too much for most kids to

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