Students have grown used to the sight of shoe racks in many of the classrooms at Hudson High School. These shoe racks serve one sole purpose, to hold on to the cellphones of students during class time.

The policy of keeping our phones in those shoe racks first began at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. They were implemented due to the growing epidemic of phone use at inappropriate times. While it does make sense to take away the device that students have that can easily distract them, it can also do more harm than good.

For many, a phone can be used more as a tool rather than a toy or social media device.

A cell phone can be used as a planner, note-taking device, calculator, and more. With the seemingly unlimited number of applications ready to download on the internet, there is a massive list of possible positive uses for phones that could aid both students and teachers alike.

Furthermore, many students rely on their phones for receiving quick information or if they need to send out information.

A student might need to know if any plans for after school change as soon as possible, or updates on issues occurring out of school that affect their families. Revoking the access of phones denies students the ability to utilize it as a tool, and know vital information.

Most importantly, having phones collected doesn’t help with the issue of responsibility.

When students go off to college or the workforce after high school, their employer or professor won’t have a shoe rack on the walls for them to put their phone in. Students should start making habits, of their own accord, of only using their phones when absolutely necessary now while they are still in high school, as the repercussions of phone use in college or the workforce are greater.

A professor might not take away your phone during lecture, but your performance (or lack thereof) will be evident in your grades. Using your phone at work could result in disciplinary action, or even termination of employment.

High school is a time to make mistakes and learn, students should be allowed to have their phone on them, and be the ones to make the decision on whether or not to use it.

If a student is repeatedly using their phone in class, the instructor shouldn’t take it away. Instead, when grade reports come in, and the student’s performance is assessed, advice that can be given is that the student should limit the use of their phone in class, as phone use in class distracts the student from focusing on the objective, which will harm their grade.

While it might be annoying for teachers to see their students not paying attention in class, they need to keep in mind that the student is making a choice. They are deciding that their time is best spent doing arbitrary actions on their phones, than paying attention in class. We are all almost adults here, and we should be able to make our own choices, but also suffer the consequences.

Students should be able to hold onto their phones during class periods. They should be the ones to decide whether or not certain situations validate phone use. We will only learn the consequences of inappropriate phone use if we see the consequences first hand.