Isn't it a common sight? A quick glance around the classroom will find multiple students staring at a very awkward place, when in fact they are simply chatting with their friends. Yes, we've all done it at one time or another: head down, fingers flitting across the keyboard... texting in class.
Innisdale's teachers are not happy about the amount of texting in class. "I hate cell phones!" is Mrs. McAuley's mantra, which is often repeated during class. "I will catch you!" is another one of her mottos that has proven to be true multiple times.
If you asked your friends, you'd probably discover that almost all of them have a cell phone. Those who don't have a cell feel "out of the loop," as Lucas Coulter said. Caitlyn Chard explained, "I need my phone to survive! I feel sorry for those who don't have cell phones." This modern culture of always having cell phone in hand has been known to exclude those who don't own one, one of the reasons that parents and teachers abhor them.
Lessons are ignored, school work is put off for later, and teachers get no respect, all because of cell phones. One of the main causes of detention at Innisdale is texting during class. Just because you seem like you're being sneaky by hiding your phone under the desk, does not mean that the teachers don't notice. For those who continue to text during class, I'm sure you have it worked out which classes you can get away with texting in, and which ones you cannot.
With the recent evolution from "T9" to a full sized "QWERTY" keyboard, modern phones make texting extremely easy, especially when your teacher's back is turned. The majority of today's teens own a cell phone with a full keyboard, and many don't even know how to use "T9".
As of 2007 about 70% of all households in Canada reported having at least one cell phone, a number that has risen drastically over the years. Over two thirds of the youth in the United States currently own a cell phone. However, Canadians pay 1.5 times more money for service plans than the US. This extra cost doesn't stop us though, because a survey in 2008 showed that the average amount of text messages sent per month by Canadians on a certain provider was 189. Unlimited texting now allows teenagers to send and receive thousands of texts if they choose. This is a number that isn't too uncommon nowadays.
Take the time to stop and think: does your friend really need to know that NOW? Do you want your teachers to be in a better mood (maybe even causing them to be SO happy that they'll give less homework)? Do you want to save money on your cell phone bill for you or your parents? Do you want to stop getting detention slips? Let's all turn off our cell phones during class, and actually do what we're supposed to be doing in school: working!
