Here at Gunderson, reading for leisure is a lost art. These days, people tend to use their phones more than ever. There are solutions to this crisis, though. To increase reading activity, the school should implement a designated SSR time, like brunch, so people can enjoy the thrill of visiting new worlds or learning about new places or people. During GLC, students have the opportunity to read or do homework during the first half of the period, but, unfortunately, some teachers are ignoring this rule or not encouraging it, leading to little or no impact on increased reading.

Though many don’t know, there are many benefits to reading every day. Reading physical books is even better. Physical books provide context during reading, giving the reader a better understanding of the text, according to a study conducted by UC Berkeley. Reading books also increases vocabulary, especially in children. Reading heightens intelligence in general. According to The Huffington Post, reading increases memory function. Reading a real book before bedtime helps one sleep better while bright screens cause one to stay awake longer and not sleep as well.

There are many reasons one should read. Reading reduces stress, and according to a study conducted by Yale University, it can increase one’s lifespan. Reading increases language skills and increases empathy and creativity, and these benefits have proven higher test scores.

Though too many people use their phones too much, they should be aware of the side effects of long-term phone use. Cell phones produce a small amount of radiation when being used. Case companies claim their cases stop radiation, but this isn’t the case, according to the World Health Organization. Cell phone radiation can cause brain cancer from too much exposure. Cell phones, as well as most bright screens, cause retinal damage because of all the bright blue lights embedded in the screens, said Gary Heiting OD. Using technology too much has horrible consequences as well. Back and head pain can occur from one staring at their screen and being in an unnatural, hunched position causes spinal strain. Overuse of phones can also cause mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, according to Science Direct. If the district would comply, everyone would benefit from reading instead of excess phone use. Students should read more because of the overall benefits that come from it.     

Students shouldn’t have to read books to learn more information. Even though there are many times cell phones have been seen as a distraction. Phones can be really helpful in many situations, you can learn as much information from your phone as you can at school. Also, if you want to read a book but are too lazy to stand up and travel to some other destination to get a book, you can just start reading immediately with just a touch of a screen.

Cell phones are one of the most important tools we need in life. They can be helpful throughout school and they can also be helpful when you are in a dangerous situation, even if you are rarely in bad situations phones can REALLY come in handy whenever you are in one. Even though phones have a bad reputation for new and old generations, people never really dig deep enough to know how beneficial a phone can be and would just believe what would be shown in articles and the news about how bad technology can be, which can be viewed from your phone.

From personal experience, ever since I’ve started using this device, I’ve been able to research for my projects while going out and about, find out about new books to read about and find how important I can be to other people that I’ve met through the internet world which can be accessed just through my phone. Many other people have the same experience as I have had throughout these few years of using this technology, for example; I’ve seen many netizens come together to help people in their troubling times and supported them through it all, from what I can see, phones are more beneficial than what others think of it.

If you think that you can’t learn anything by using your handheld device, then you’re wrong. Many articles can be accessed through the internet, and all you have to do is tap a button. Additionally, many schools rely on students to use any device; specifically, phones and PCs to access homework and classwork, for example, many teachers want their students to use a laptop to obtain data for their project, instead of having to go through many papers and books just to find a simple piece of information. Besides, books can take up too much paper and there are too many trees that are being chopped down just to create paper-based items such as novels. Furthermore, devices such as phones are overlooked and should be more known to be a beneficial tool.