To the Editor:

I’m Shivalika Gullapalli! I am in sixth grade and I go to Farnsworth Middle School. I am a Scout and I am a part of Troop 3050. One of the merit badges I have been working on is called Communication. One of the requirements for communications is to write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information on any subject you chose. The subject I chose is about how cellphones should be allowed in schools.

I think cellphones should be allowed in schools. One reason I think this is because students can quickly contact their parents or emergency services and contacts if there is an emergency. Cellphones will help you stay safe by giving you emergency alerts — for example, severe weather warnings such as tornadoes.

Allowing phones makes it easier to organize school assignments. Your cellphone would always be with you so you could check assignments whenever you want to. You could also add instant reminders right when your teacher gives the reminders, unlike Chromebooks where you would have to wait and open your chromebook. You can also instantly take useful pictures of pieces of information, unlike Chromebooks.

Allowing cellphones in schools teaches students how to use technology responsibly. Students would learn how to use technology responsibly by not just ignoring technology completely, but by learning how to make good choices while using technology. It would also help students set a bunch of boundaries by knowing how it is appropriate to use technology and how it is inappropriate to use technology. This is why I think cellphones should be allowed in schools.

Shivalika Gullapalli

Guilderland