My high school students do not know when to leave the cell phone alone. Whether the phone is on vibrate or not - any noise or movement (incoming text) requires their immediate attention.
Some students think they can multitask - teen speak for not giving full attention to an adult while they listen to their favorite music or text their friend. Other teens know they cannot multitask and so they choose to stick ear buds into their tender ears and turn up the volume. Very few students know how to leave their phone off and put away.
Some adults have enabled this behavior. Some parents are unwilling to take the time to explain that listening is a skill - and requires energy. Maybe those parents are worried that the teen will not listen. Some parents are reinforcing that it is okay for the student to text in the middle of a classroom lecture. Others reinforce that they want their teen to text them when it is lunch time so that they can go and get them McDonald's.
It's shameful that teens are not shown how to set aside the cell phone.
Today I wanted to bet a student $600 that they couldn't leave their cell phone alone for 1 month; that is $20 per day. The teen knew they could not handle the bet. According to the student, she wouldn't even make it an hour without her precious phone.
What have we done to allow teens to become addicted to cell phones?
Some students think they can multitask - teen speak for not giving full attention to an adult while they listen to their favorite music or text their friend. Other teens know they cannot multitask and so they choose to stick ear buds into their tender ears and turn up the volume. Very few students know how to leave their phone off and put away.
Some adults have enabled this behavior. Some parents are unwilling to take the time to explain that listening is a skill - and requires energy. Maybe those parents are worried that the teen will not listen. Some parents are reinforcing that it is okay for the student to text in the middle of a classroom lecture. Others reinforce that they want their teen to text them when it is lunch time so that they can go and get them McDonald's.
It's shameful that teens are not shown how to set aside the cell phone.
Today I wanted to bet a student $600 that they couldn't leave their cell phone alone for 1 month; that is $20 per day. The teen knew they could not handle the bet. According to the student, she wouldn't even make it an hour without her precious phone.
What have we done to allow teens to become addicted to cell phones?