Thursday, June 06, 2013

Calling for help or asking for trouble?


Calling for help or asking for trouble?



PANAJI: Gone are the days when passing notes under desks, whispering into each others' ears, throwing paper balls in classrooms, were considered fun. Today, these are passe. In what doctors refer to as the "mobile phone era", it's "cool" instead, to send texts, to surf the net, play games online and update your status on social networking sites, all at the click of a cellphonebutton.

In class, a teacher can never know when little ones, instead of paying attention to their studies, could be typing text messages, surfing the web or even taking pictures. Moreover, confiscating cellphones for some time is no longer a deterrent. Anna Neena George, associate professor at Dr Dada Vaidya College of Education, says, "Today's teachers are faced with up to 30 or 40 mobile phones in their classrooms and the limited tools to cope with this nuisance."

While proponents argue that today, cellphones are a necessity as students should be able to contact their parents or call up the police in case of an emergency, educationists, health experts, child psychologists and even some parents, say that cellphones are no longer restricted to only emergencies, and students are often tempted to use them in school. They say that the excessive use of cellphones by school students can disrupt academics and affect the children's health and social life. "Students with cellphones can chat with friends instead of just contacting parents during emergencies," says Chandrakant Naik, a parent.

By possessing a mobile phone, the child believes he/she is an adult and this could lead to serious parenting problems. There is always peer pressure to own an expensive handset. If the child cannot handle the freedom of mobile phone usage, it could affect his/her studies. The cost of buying and recharging a cellphone can also become an added financial burden for the parents.Agrees parent Tulshidas Parab, "Mobile phones are not always carried because they are a necessity. This gadget addiction is a concern; schools have found mobile phones hidden carefully in bags amidst voluminous school textbooks."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the radiation from mobile phones to be possibly carcinogenic to humans. Children absorb about 60% more radiation into the head than adults, as their immature nervous system makes them more susceptible to the long-term effects. As they now begin to use mobile phones at a young age, their early exposure compounds their vulnerability, a WHO study indicates.

"Mobile phones for school children should be discouraged by parents. This will lead them to neglect their studies as they will end up wasting time in sending useless SMS, chatting, etc," says Dr Rajesh Bhatkurse, a consultant physician and director of Spandan ICU at the Mapusa clinic. Geroge says that in order to stop mobile phones from blighting our children's education, parents have to lead the way and reach for the off button themselves. "All schools now have telephones, if it really is an emergency, students can be easily contacted," she adds.

Stating that cellphones have revolutionized communication and enable us to easily keep in touch with "our near and dear ones at all times, even on the move", Dr Milind Kolwalkar, a senior gynaecologist, says, "Naturally, in the backdrop of rising kidnapping and rape cases, it is important to keep in touch with our children and vice versa."

While the advantages of cellphones cannot be argued, experts, however, are clear on one thing: That the possible hazards/danger to students in schools using cellphones outweighs its rewards. "When one is confronted with the question over whether mobile phones should be allowed for school students, I would say a big "no".

Whatever rationale parents may give for allowing the child to use cellphones when still in school, the bottom line is that the danger to students outweighs its advantages," says Allan Abreo, senior professor at the BEd teacher training course.

"Also today, with smart phones, you can access the internet at the click of a button. There are lots of adult jokes forwarded via mobile phones which can be real nuisance. Mobile phones should definitely not be given to school children," adds Bhatkurse.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Calling-for-help-or-asking-for-trouble/articleshow/20468507.cms

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