Use of Mobile Phones in Schools Essay 2022

Running head: USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
Introduction
Mobile phones are beneficial gadgets that can be used for various purposes such as
conducting businesses, connecting with family members, entertainment, and so on. Students
belonging to the present generation is preoccupied with this device due to some unwanted
activities that have been distracting them from the learning events (Murphy et al., 2014). Cell
phones are also utilised as the learning tools that aid the students in their academic tasks or
working in their further essential assignments (Vernon, Barber & Modecki, 2015).
Unfortunately, it has been utilised for many illegal causes where students get access to certain
information while attending an examination that will lead on to cheating and other unwanted
procedures and it may affect in their academic grades in the upcoming future (Ekanayake &
Wishart, 2015). Now the question arises whether it should be banned in schools or it should
be utilised as a practical learning tool.
Therefore, the essay will be constructed on a debate where mobile phones should be
allowed or banned in schools along with gathering support from various shreds of researches.
The primary objective of this essay is to support the topic by discussing some underlying
layers of the importance of digital technological advancements, addressing the issues, and
adequate solution to such problems. The debate will be supported by the help of Sohail
Inayatullah’s six pillars including mapping, mapping, anticipation, timing, deepening,
creating alternatives and transforming in order to understand and stimulate more ideas and
thoughts adequately.

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Discussion
Digital technology is increasing rapidly through various range of innovations that
have led to severe changes in cell phone technology in the present generation. These drastic
changes have proven to improve the quality of one’s life. In this way, it will also help in
solving several issues like gathering more information about their learning activities,
engaging in online courses and benefiting in their day-to-day lives (Murphy et al., 2014). On
the other hand, some underlying problems fail to reduce and have been affecting negatively
on many children. These issues are related to cyberbullying, losing respect, and changing
one’s personality. Students get into adverse outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and
severe health, along with safety implications such as while driving any vehicle (Vernon,
Barber & Modecki, 2015). There have been several pieces of research that have resulted in
about eighty-eight per cent of the young population in Australia who owns a cellphone at a
young age. As per the results are concerned both female and male students ageing from
eighteen to twenty-five-year-old, have been more occupied with the utilisation of mobile
phone (Ekanayake & Wishart, 2015).
Firstly, the discussion drives on the benefits of using mobile phones such as better
communication, learning aid, voice notes, GPS tracking, and classroom collaboration. Thus,
educators and family members should recognise the brighter side of utilising the mobile
phones where the students will benefit in scoring a high number in the academic grades (Şad
& Göktaş, 2014). It can be used as the learning tools to aid children in their learning activities
in the classroom, and they are as follows:
Educational learning applications: Mobile phones will give access to the students to
gather more information about learning activities and will help them to finish their work
within less amount of time (Ekanayake & Wishart, 2015). They will be able to progress in

3USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
different genres appropriately. They may indulge themselves in a different set of events such
as quiz contest, foreign language learning, better tricks to handle pressure, and online
courses. These learning tools will teach the students to enhance better habits in the course of
their studying activities such as time management as well as organisational skills.
Digital platforms: Social media is the biggest platform where educators should
encourage the students to participate in a specific discussion, where they can incorporate
individual lesson plans and new ideas. They can also create a message board for helping them
to understand their learning activities in a better way (Şad & Göktaş, 2014). If teachers are
not available in person, they can also connect with them through video call and ensure
adequate guidance for helping them and solving their problems. Some students need a lot of
help as they fail to speak up in their classes, and they might feel comfortable while discussing
their issues.
Supplementing lessons: Educators should take advantage of mobile phones by
providing essential resources and adequate information about their desired subjects.
Educators can support them by uploading videos, a new update on assignment, and online
lesson plan and so on (Vernon, Barber & Modecki, 2015).
Secondly, the disadvantages are associated with all sort of unwanted chaos, threats,
cheating and cyberbullying that may lead to a negative impact on students and on their
families as well. Mobile phones are also responsible for several health-related issues, and the
constant exposure that the radiation emitted from the devices and it is entirely wrong for the
students. Cell phones are causing severe damage to the students as it allows them to get
access to undue advantages of cheating during their examination (Hancock et al., 2013). They
will definitely feel distracted when it rings or vibrates. The learning processes will be
disturbed when they indulge themselves in sending messages or responding to their social

4USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
networking accounts. They may also get access to online gaming activities and there have
been many cases, where many students have lost their lives because of not winning in any
gaming activity (Cotten, Shank & Anderson, 2014).
Cheating is the most severe crime that has been benefiting many students, who are not
willing to put any effort into their learning processes. Students will be able to exchange notes
through social networking sites and that is why CCTV has been installed in most of the
schools. Cyberbullying and dehumanising are the second most influential aspects that
invariably affects the students negatively (Smith & Steffgen, 2013). Some may lose their
individual interests upon themselves that may lead on to depression, anxiety and impulsive
nature. Chaos can be generated during any function that may threaten an individual during
any attack in their individual school (Goswami & Singh, 2016). Thus, Sohail Inayatullah’s
six pillars will be quite helpful and useful in the learning processes such as mapping,
mapping, anticipation, timing, deepening, creating alternatives and transforming.
There are six pillars of studies which will provide a theory for the process of thinking
and it is associated with techniques and equipment and it is enhanced through praxis. It can
be utilised as an essential theory so that it will help to generate the primary desire to make
correct decisions in the upcoming future (Inayatullah, 2013).
Mapping: It is the first pillar is where past, present and future will be mapped
appropriately. It will help in their progression of an individual, which will lead on to
understand and will help in making things clear as what are the individuals going to do and
where are they going ahead in their future (Inayatullah, 2020). It will involve evolution and
progression, along with collapsing factors, are also there to understand the limitations and
challenges appropriately.

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Anticipation: It is the second most essential pillar for future thinking processes of an
individual (Inayatullah, 2013). It has been attached with two primary methods such as
highlighting issues and searching for innovative opportunities so that it will help to recognise
the problems before it spreads into the wrong direction (Inayatullah, 2020). It will also help
to overcome the emerging issues and will rectify to solve the next day’s challenge.
Timing: It is the third pillar of the future where recognition of models of change and
massive patterns of history are significant aspects which are needed to construct new systems
(Inayatullah, 2013). Therefore, the desired transformation can only be recognized through
inner reflection as well as the fate of history (Inayatullah, 2020). As it is difficult or rather
impossible to bring any change in the outer world so transforming one’s self will help in
changing the world around them.
Deepening: The fourth pillar will help a student to recognise, which will include two
methods such as layered causal analysis as well as four-quadrant mapping (Inayatullah,
2013). Both the ways are linked several dimensions that will help to deliver systematic
solutions through useful patterns (Inayatullah, 2020). It showcases the problems of a city as
well as personal health that produces an inner map of one’s life cycle.
Creating alternatives: The fifth pillar will help in generating alternative future
aspects. The pillar consists of gathering the structural-functional analysis, and different
individual ways can be figured out in the educational sector (Inayatullah, 2020). New
structures, as well as function chart, will benefit the educational organisation of the future
studies that will include continued growth, collapsing aspect, steady condition, and adequate
transformation (Inayatullah, 2013).
Transforming: The fifth pillar is the transformation, which is focused on the preferred
future. The process of preferred future occurs through questioning where individuals are

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involved with their preferred day in their individual life through creative visualization
(Inayatullah, 2020).

7USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
Conclusion
Thus, coming to this conclusion, students and educators should avoid the
disadvantages as digital technology, and learning tool is more beneficial for students. It will
be quite helpful for them to understand all the learning events adequately and gathering
information on their desired subjects. Yet, it should be banned while using in their schools as
it may lead on to negative impact on their studies and they should utilise their individual
cellphones in their house. In the present generation, students will focus more on social
networking sites that may result in cyberbullying and health care issues, which may influence
other students to lose their interest in studies and co-curricular activities. Thus, with the help
of Sohail Inayatullah’s six pillars, it will benefit in the thinking process of students’ in their
upcoming future. The students will benefit certain aspects in their forthcoming future where
they can map their essential factors and it will help them to solve their individual issues.

8USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
References
Cotten, S. R., Shank, D. B., & Anderson, W. A. (2014). Gender, technology use and
ownership, and media-based multitasking among middle school students. Computers
in Human Behavior, 35, 99-106.
Ekanayake, S. Y., & Wishart, J. (2015). Integrating mobile phones into teaching and learning:
A case study of teacher training through professional development workshops. British
Journal of Educational Technology, 46(1), 173-189.
Goswami, V., & Singh, D. R. (2016). Impact of mobile phone addiction on adolescent’s life:
A literature review. International journal of home science, 2(1), 69-74.
Hancock, K. J., Shepherd, C. C., Lawrence, D., & Zubrick, S. R. (2013). Student attendance
and educational outcomes: Every day counts. Report for the Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra.
Inayatullah, S. (2013). Futures studies: theories and methods. There's a future: Visions for a
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Inayatullah, S. (2013). Using gaming to understand the patterns of the future-the sarkar game
in action. Journal of Futures Studies, 18(1), 1-12.
Inayatullah, S. (2020). Six pillars: futures thinking for transforming.
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9USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS
Şad, S. N., & Göktaş, Ö. (2014). Preservice teachers' perceptions about using mobile phones
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technology, 45(4), 606-618.
Smith, P. K., & Steffgen, G. (Eds.). (2013). Cyberbullying through the new media: Findings
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