…On the first day of the new school year this past September, Head officials in the Pelham Memorial High School Department of Learning announced that, during the coming school year, all personal devices such as iPhones and personal laptops would be strictly prohibited from any use in class with the exception of a few students who will be exempt due to specific learning requirements. These rules were not the only new additions to Pelham Memorial High School at the beginning of the school year however, due to the new role of principal given to Mr Lluellen following the departure of Mr. Berkoitiz, an additional committee was formed with the purpose of discussing any current events, policies, and a plethora of other subjects that need to be taken care of. Many people, students, faculty, and Pelham community members alike, have deemed the “personal device committee” due to the origin of its creation. “But why such a committee would even be formed in the first place,” is a question many Pelham Community Members have expressed during the beginning of said committee’s formation.
…Going all the way back to the events of the Covid-19 epidemic and its aftermath, the way we as a community and an academy incorporate technology into our everyday lives has changed dramatically in the past few years. Whether it be conducting lessons through Zoom from the comfort of our homes to turning in paperwork digitally by capturing a picture on our phones, Pelham, along with thousands of schools across the country, functioned lessons in ways previously unheard of by alumni of years prior. And although these new and revolutionary ideas were, and continue to be essential in our everyday lives, what happens when too many people begin to depend on this technology too much? Many teachers and faculty alike have expressed frustration and concern with not only the increase in phones distracting students from lessons, but the negative effects screen time and social media have had on the young brains that they are tasked to teach, so to speak. Due to many incidents that have happened within the school alumni as a result of these devices, many faculty members and parents have decided that enough is enough and banned all non school issued devices from classrooms, which is why head faculty have created this committee to gather and discuss a variety of topics such as possible new policies that may be necessary and any recent events and hot topics within the school. Although many students have found themselves agreeing with the policies regarding cell phone use, many have expressed disdain on the personal laptop ban, stating it causes more harm rather than good.
…Students have found themselves increasingly frustrated with the recent crackdown on personal computer use within the building for a variety of reasons. One of the more prevalent complaints is that it disrupts their workflow and makes it significantly harder for students to access essential information for work, due to school-issued Chromebooks restricting access to any websites deemed “unfit for school”. Many students find that restricting students access to vital information on school-issued Chromebooks makes any type of research nearly impossible due to the mass blocking. Additionally, Alumni have also complained that the sluggish and buggy nature of the school-issued Chromebooks is a problem as well as it is hard to get a large quantity of work done when the computer they are using is lagging and glitching off, compared to the fast and top-notch nature many students personal computers possess. When asked about how she feels about the personal computer ban, Senior and prevalent member of the Student Government Julia Findikyan recalls her feelings, stating the following “As a member of the student government but mostly as a student, I disagree with the recent ban on personal computers in school and I believe the ban hinders students’ ability to learn overall. We are restricted from accessing several websites necessary to complete class activities, and without a personal computer, science research students cannot contact their mentors, and seniors cannot work on college applications. In addition, most of the school computers are unfortunately broken or slow due to their age. I understand the concern with using devices in school, but I believe taking our phones is more than enough.” Julia is one of many students who have expressed disdain for the recent ban on laptops within the school.
…Regardless of what side you may find yourself standing with, it is simply a matter of fact that the recent bans as well as the new committee have created many conflicting feelings between the likes of faculty members and student alumni. Additionally, with the success of the personal phone ban, the committee is most likely here to stay for a long time, regardless of how someone may feel about it and where they stand on both arguments.