Author:Alastair Endersby ( United Kingdom ) Alastair learnt to debate at the Cambridge Union

but discovered his real talents lay in coaching when he started teaching. He has twice coached
England teams in the World Schools Debating Championships. Alastair currently teaches
History and Politics at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury, England. He is the Editor of
Debatabase.

Created: Tuesday, June 05, 2007

  Context
Mobile telephones (known as cellphones in America) have only existed for twenty years.
In the past decade they have become very widespread with almost every adult in
developed countries now owning a small portable phone. Modern phones can perform a
wide variety of functions, such as taking and sending photographs and video, playing
music and games, and even surfing the internet. Their main use, however, remains for
voice calls and for texting short messages. As prices of both phones and calls have come
  down in the past ten years or so, they have become much more affordable for young
people. This has raised questions about whether children should be able to own phones,
and if they should be allowed to take them into school. Schools in different countries, and
within countries, take very different views on this issue. In some students can carry them
as they like, as long as they are off during lessons. Other schools allow them to be carried,
but say they must never be turned on in school hours. Some (for example, New York
schools recently) ban them entirely.

  Arguments

Pros Cons

Mobile phones are safe for children to use – we There are possible long-term health risks from
should ignore scare stories in the media. The using mobile phones. Some research suggests
latest research says that mobile phones do not that the radio waves from mobile phones may
damage brain cells. Even those earlier studies harm people’s brains. Because children’s brains
that suggested there might be a problem thought are still developing, any possible damage to
that people would have to use a cell phone for them is even more worrying than for adults. It is
hours a day for there to be an effect. It is true true there is no total scientific proof about this,
that there is no 100% proof mobile phones are but it is better to play safe than take risks – the
safe to use, but that is true of any scientific precautionary principle. Until science can prove
study. mobile phones are completely safe for young
people to use, they should not be allowed to
have them.

Mobile phones keep children safer, as it is Mobile phones make children less safe. Firstly
easier for parents to stay in touch with their they are carrying an expensive fashion item that
children. Through calls and texts, parents can makes them a target for criminals. Millions of
know where their child is and be reassured that people are robbed of cell phones every year,
he or she is safe. And in an emergency, young sometimes with violence. Secondly, many
people can summon help quickly. children spend so much time talking on the
Yes, some children carrying phones have been phone or texting that they are less aware of
robbed, but thieves are always after something what is going on around them. Each year young
new. Phones now are both much more people get run over crossing the street because
widespread and security coded, so there is little their attention was on their phone conversation,
point in stealing them. If security is your not the traffic.
concern, ban the latest personal MP3 and DVD
players instead. Traffic accidents should be
blamed on bad safety education rather than
phones.

Children will always pressure their parents to Mobile phones are too expensive for children.
have the latest thing; phones are only one Even if basic models are cheap to buy, calls are
example of this. Parents can always say “no” or expensive and charges soon mount up. Many
set limits on what they can spend. With modern young people run up big bills their parents have
payment plans children can be given a set to pay. A few rich families might be able to
amount of credit for calls and texts. Learning to afford this, but for many parents the hours their
work within financial limits is an important part kids spend on their cell phones are an
of growing up. In any case, many young people uncontrolled expense they cannot cope with.
have part-time jobs so they are spending their Others are under peer pressure to get the
own money, not their parents. newest, most stylish phone with all the latest
gadgets. Banning children from carrying cell
phones would take away these problems from
ordinary financially-stretched families.

Information and Communication Technology Mobile phones are a distraction from the real
(ICT) is now a normal part of modern life, used world, preventing children from interacting
by everyone from toddlers to pensioners. So with those around them. Constant talking,
children need to grow up making use of texting, and games playing take the place of
technology such as mobile phones if they are to proper socialising. Young people grow up
take their place in society. Such use fits them without good manners, unable to relate to those
for the modern workplace with its need for around them in a normal way. They also
tech-savvy employees with communication become fat and lazy, as phone use crowds out
skills and the ability to work flexibly. In any healthy activity such as sport or playground
case, children often have better phone manners games.
than adults – they are less likely to shout into
the phone, more likely to text discreetly, and
more aware of text and phone etiquette.

Mobile phones are now a valuable part of Mobile phones are inappropriate in schools.
student life. Because parents feel their children They take students’ attention away from their
are safer carrying a phone, they are more likely lessons and undermine discipline. Rules about
to allow them to travel to school on their own having them turned off in lessons are
rather then driving them. This promotes greater impossible to enforce – students just put them
independence for the children, while taking in silent mode and secretly text or play games
traffic off the roads which is environmentally- in the back of the class. There have been many
friendly. Like many other things (girls! boys! cases of students using mobiles to cheat in tests,
the view out of the window!) mobiles can be and some of students recording embarrassing
distracting in class but this doesn’t mean they footage of their teachers to post on the internet.
should be banned. Many schools allow phones Schools are for learning and anything which
to be carried providing they are turned off in gets in the way of that should be banned.
lesson.

Anything can be abused, including pencils and Mobile phones are open to abuse, offering
paper. New technology always carries some activities which are very inappropriate for
risks but we should not be rushed into panic children. The ability of modern phones to
measures. Children got hold of pornography, display graphics has led to the rise of mobile
gambled and bullied each other long before pornography, gambling and even cyber-
mobile phones were invented. These problems bullying. Most parents restrict their children’s
won’t go away if we ban phone use – they can television viewing and computer use, but it is
only be dealt with through good parenting and much harder for them to monitor mobile phone
moral education. In the meantime, parents can use. Given this, it is best that children are not
get phones which block inappropriate content, allowed to own them.
and ensure their children do not have credit
cards to pay for it.