A quiet student sits in the back of the class. Other students treat them cold but, on their phone, many warm online friends wait for them. Cell phones give students a safe social space that they otherwise would not have in school. 

Because of this, the cell phone policy at MCHS causes problems for students, including social problems. In an internet era, online presence is an important part of social life. Phones impact how students associate with each other. 

Without phones, some students feel isolated from online friends. Having friends keeps students from being lonely and depressed. Students should feel comfortable in school, and that comfort comes from having people near them or online they can trust. If no one is there in class, they can escape to ones they trust online. Students deserve to feel safe in school, and not having a phone can prevent that feeling. 

The school’s phone policy leaves a lot of rules up to the teachers. Teachers can pick favorites and have unfair biases, and giving them the power to single out students. Having belongings taken away in front of the entire class can be humiliating for a student. The phone policy is giving teachers an easy way to embarrass students, and an easy way to show their favoritism. The rule needs to be consistent in the classroom. 

The phone policy has much room for improvement. It should be changed to support students socially and prevent favoritism acting out. It should be consistent in every class and more lenient than it is. Otherwise, students will feel alone and unliked. Student’s well-being should be the most important priority, and the rules on phones at MCHS gets in the way of this.