Is it good to allow students to use mobile phone?

[quote]It is rightly stated that any product is not an unmitigated blessing. It is further correctly stated that going against an invention will be like stopping a speeding car standing in the middle of road. Thus, it can be safely concluded that mobile phones have to be used. Children have to be trained in use of gadgets as this is part of process of making them responsible future citizens. But some precautions should be observed and rules framed for safe and proper use of phones by children. Hence, I suggested in an earlier post that children studying in Class VI and above alone be allowed use of mobile phones with suitable guidelines and code of conduct. Children have even otherwise to abide by school discipline. Rules about use of mobile phones are also part of discipline and should be accordingly enforced. [/quote]

To some extent you do have a point Gulshan! But considering the long term effects of a mobile, it is not prudent to give them a mobile at a young age - class VI onwards included! In fact those are the beginning of the teen years and puberty that makes them all the more vulnerable to anything that can be addictive! Mobile phones have a major effect on children and brings about undesirable changes in their lifestyle. These children become very much obsessed with the phones and are constantly checking messages. Instead of spending time playing sports in the fresh air and engaging in other creative activities and hobbies, they spend most of their time on the phone either texting or talking with friends.

As we all now know that prolonged use of mobiles has now led to an all set of new psychological problems, children being more susceptible to them. Even if the parents do ensure that they train their children properly on usage of the phone, it still remains the fact that with both parents working outside home in majority of the households, who is to ensure that these guidelines be followed.

Studies have also shown that children below the age of sixteen are more affected by the mobile rediations. Since their brain and other body tissues are still developing, these radiations can cause severe cell damage. It is also believed, that there is a link between the childhood cancer and mobile radiations.

Apart from the disadvantages like health hazards and frequent SMS ing the children can be taught to use the mobiles for learning things too.They can be taught to use Google maps,how to use reminders to remember some important occasions,how to make use of alarm in times of exams,how to use a calculator etc..

In this fast moving world we need to equip ourselves with all technologies.It is like a multivitamin capsule.Up gradation should start at an early stage.Again it all lies in the fact how we mold our children.Parents and Teachers are jointly responsible for molding a child.A knife can be used to both cut vegetables and slit a throat.Similarly children can be taught to use the cellphones for urgent ,emergency needs and for upgrading the knowledge leaving out the ill effects of it.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
[quote][quote]It is rightly stated that any product is not an unmitigated blessing. It is further correctly stated that going against an invention will be like stopping a speeding car standing in the middle of road. Thus, it can be safely concluded that mobile phones have to be used. Children have to be trained in use of gadgets as this is part of process of making them responsible future citizens. But some precautions should be observed and rules framed for safe and proper use of phones by children. Hence, I suggested in an earlier post that children studying in Class VI and above alone be allowed use of mobile phones with suitable guidelines and code of conduct. Children have even otherwise to abide by school discipline. Rules about use of mobile phones are also part of discipline and should be accordingly enforced. [/quote]

To some extent you do have a point Gulshan! But considering the long term effects of a mobile, it is not prudent to give them a mobile at a young age - class VI onwards included! In fact those are the beginning of the teen years and puberty that makes them all the more vulnerable to anything that can be addictive! Mobile phones have a major effect on children and brings about undesirable changes in their lifestyle. These children become very much obsessed with the phones and are constantly checking messages. Instead of spending time playing sports in the fresh air and engaging in other creative activities and hobbies, they spend most of their time on the phone either texting or talking with friends.

As we all now know that prolonged use of mobiles has now led to an all set of new psychological problems, children being more susceptible to them. Even if the parents do ensure that they train their children properly on usage of the phone, it still remains the fact that with both parents working outside home in majority of the households, who is to ensure that these guidelines be followed.

Studies have also shown that children below the age of sixteen are more affected by the mobile radiations. Since their brain and other body tissues are still developing, these radiations can cause severe cell damage. It is also believed, that there is a link between the childhood cancer and mobile radiations.[/quote]

The affect of mobile radians is on all. There are some curses of modern way of living, mobile phones excluded. We cannot completely get rid of these but may restrain the use and adopt precautions. It is stated that children below the age of sixteen are more affected by mobile phone radiations. This may be right. But even then at some stage, children are to be allowed use of mobile phones. At eighteen they are adults and may even choose to be employed. At eighteen, they should be fully competent to use all essential things including mobile phones. This is possible only if they are trained to use these a few years earlier than getting adult. Hence, using the phones from sixth class appears okay.

"Is it good to allow students to use mobile phone ?"

thanks for nice & awareness oriented topic which appeals masses.we find that from the onset of mobile mobile has been a wonder machine with all ages may be youth wish to aquire gadget as fashion,or boss wish to possess the mobile for its user friendly appeal

whatever may be tarriff rate in all it has been a popular tool in youth especially where they need mobiles more than business man uses it .hence any thing given to energetic youth need to be monitor ,as

1 youth or student really gets emotionally attached to mobile,that makes them forget time, place

2 recent student accident in railways,road all proves that a ringing mobile makes them disturb where they are

eg-bycicle,biker, driver can make accident easily to loose his life as he picks phone he loose control to notice whats coming his way & student walking on road with cell may get victimised because of being on road

many student r victims due to mobiles is reality that we can't forget so even though it has huge demand & popularity we need to understand risk

though many in this GD may request ban but i'm against IT I prefer that a student has pocket money & PCO Booth is reliable option so that road ,railway accident , etc can be avoided

Gulshan wrote:
[quote]The affect of mobile radians is on all. There are some curses of modern way of living, mobile phones excluded. We cannot completely get rid of these but may restrain the use and adopt precautions. It is stated that children below the age of sixteen are more affected by mobile phone radiations. This may be right. But even then at some stage, children are to be allowed use of mobile phones. At eighteen they are adults and may even choose to be employed. At eighteen, they should be fully competent to use all essential things including mobile phones. This is possible only if they are trained to use these a few years earlier than getting adult. Hence, using the phones from sixth class appears okay.[/quote]

Gulshan while it is true that everyone gets affected by the radiations emitted by a mobile, yet the fact remains their effects are much much more in proportion on young children than in the adults. Children's past age eighteen is generally complete with proper formation of all body tissues and organs, so teh radiations will not affect them so much as they will on younger children.

So, if children below 18 are allowed to use mobiles regularly, in effect we are allowing shortening of their life span.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
[quote]Gulshan wrote:
[quote]The affect of mobile radians is on all. There are some curses of modern way of living, mobile phones excluded. We cannot completely get rid of these but may restrain the use and adopt precautions. It is stated that children below the age of sixteen are more affected by mobile phone radiations. This may be right. But even then at some stage, children are to be allowed use of mobile phones. At eighteen they are adults and may even choose to be employed. At eighteen, they should be fully competent to use all essential things including mobile phones. This is possible only if they are trained to use these a few years earlier than getting adult. Hence, using the phones from sixth class appears okay.[/quote]

Gulshan while it is true that everyone gets affected by the radiations emitted by a mobile, yet the fact remains their effects are much much more in proportion on young children than in the adults. Children's past age eighteen is generally complete with proper formation of all body tissues and organs, so teh radiations will not affect them so much as they will on younger children.

So, if children below 18 are allowed to use mobiles regularly, in effect we are allowing shortening of their life span.[/quote]

I only submitted that there has to be some stage when children be allowed use of mobile phones. You say that the stage should be attaining age of 18 years. I suggested the stage when a child enters class VI. If the children in class VI are too young for mobile phones, let them use when they enter class XI. They will be a little grown up by then and may easily learn to use the mobile phones with care.

Friends,

We have discussed the health hazards both physical,physiological and more importantly mental which reckless use of this technological marvel can cause to the most vulnerable sections of our society- students and youths.As I mentioned earlier that it would be neither pragmatic nor feasible to impose blanket restrictions on our students who form a diverse section of our society.Youth is such a phase of our life that it intrinsically challenges any attempt to fetter what they perceive as their freedom.We don't have any statistical information to establish the validity of the apprehension that a majority of our students indulges in gross abuses of their mobile phones so to my mind it is a hypothesis which needs validation.It is natural tendency on our part to make sweeping generalisations.There are reports of gross abuses which may cause knee-jerk reactions among us resulting in making suggestions like providing them with mobile phone with simple or basic features or setting some guidelines.My question is how do we set those guidlines and more importantly how do we go about implementing them.I have come across many students who are imaginatively and adroitly putting their multi-media featured hands to smart uses which help them in their study.There are cases too of misuses or abuses by a few.There is another aspect to this problem which is peer pressure.If a friend uses a high-end mobile it set up a competition among others to out do it! I would deal with the solution part in my next post.

chinmoymukherjee wrote:
[quote]Friends,

We have discussed the health hazards both physical,physiological and more importantly mental which reckless use of this technological marvel can cause to the most vulnerable sections of our society- students and youths.As I mentioned earlier that it would be neither pragmatic nor feasible to impose blanket restrictions on our students who form a diverse section of our society.Youth is such a phase of our life that it intrinsically challenges any attempt to fetter what they perceive as their freedom.We don't have any statistical information to establish the validity of the apprehension that a majority of our students indulges in gross abuses of their mobile phones so to my mind it is a hypothesis which needs validation.It is natural tendency on our part to make sweeping generalisations.There are reports of gross abuses which may cause knee-jerk reactions among us resulting in making suggestions like providing them with mobile phone with simple or basic features or setting some guidelines.My question is how do we set those guidlines and more importantly how do we go about implementing them.I have come across many students who are imaginatively and adroitly putting their multi-media featured hands to smart uses which help them in their study.There are cases too of misuses or abuses by a few.There is another aspect to this problem which is peer pressure.If a friend uses a high-end mobile it set up a competition among others to out do it! I would deal with the solution part in my next post.[/quote]

Instances of misuse of mobile phones are reported in newspapers from time to time. Generally, phones with camera and MMS facility are misused against women and girls. I suggested in my posts that smart phones should not be allowed. Simple phones with speech and text facility only be allowed and code of conduct be framed.

In view of wide use and utility of mobile phones, it is not feasible to make a blanket ban. Only restrictions can be considered. I have mentioned some in my posts.

I think many of our student days had over in various campuses without any of these equipments.So it is not a necessary thing to students.But it is a status symbol now and that is why students are more addicted to it.

I don't think it would be a mature stand to call it an addiction or as an unnecessary adjunct to today's living.Let us focus on finding a logical solution to this problem instead of making any attempt to turn the wheel of progress back.I once again reiterate that any arm-twisitng would make matters worse and we should not be unduly harsh or critical of students using mobile phone or let our personal prejudices or bias come in the way of finding an acceptable solution.I remeber how fiercely the Left Front government opposed and forcibly blocked the entry of computers in government offices in fear of loss of jobs- a decision which hurt the cause of computer education in the state .This decision was subsequently rued by its leaders.I am referring to this only because any archaic attitude towards modern gadgets and technology which is out of sync with times may prove terribly costly! And my argument should not be viewed as support to any undesirable and improper use of mobile phones by the students.Rather I am very much conscious of this problem but suggesting or implementing any course which may prove counter-productive is simply not on .Let us recognise the problem and try finding practical means to contain this malaise.I am opposed to any coercive methods and would rather affirm greater faith in persuasive methods.Educating the students about the darker sides of negative use of mobile phones is the only way to fight this phenomenon.Banning or putting restrictions is just like throwing the baby with the bathwater and reflects a defeatist mindset.

I am incline to agree more with Chinmoy. The use of modern gadgets by children cannot be totally avoided. There may be misuses but these need be regulated. Abid has remarked that previously, students went without mobile phones and all went well. But mobile phones are a recent product. We cannot compare past with current period.
We only have to discuss as to what type of phone be permitted, from what standard and how to regulate. I suggested simple phones with voice and text facility, from class VI (may be from Class XI) and subject to certain rules.
This is my concluding post in the current GD.

gulshan kumar ajmani suggested that" the stage when a child enters class VI. If the children in class VI are too young for mobile phones, let them use when they enter class XI.

but my views doesn't truly don't get inspired by his views that a time or age needs to be considered for kids

in my opinion any gadget designed & works only for user perspective so if user attains 18 age & his upbringings or thinking is unsocial like kasab what u can expect from KASAB even he is 18-22 range

so whatever gadgets r coming from market cannot really harm until you make it harm .so guys 18 age adult & 12 age kid doesn't matter we need lectures in schools & colleges,awareness campaign so that people,kids when educated will hope to see them proper use of mobiles & not use in road,s as after u become aware already a kid will never opt for mobile he will use phone booth as he too cares for safety

for kids special PCO ,MORE BOOTHS should be installed as HOLLYWOOD still shows booth in roads

So friends time has come to conclude my views on this sensitive and delicate issue on which all my friends have shared their valuable respective views. In continuation of the tenor of my earlier points I would ask all not to lose the perspective of this problem as any corrrective to be applied demands perfect understanding of the problem.Any misuse or abuse of any technological inventions should not be analysed divorced from the reality we confront that my result in failing to see the forest for the trees!

We have to study the moral break-down in our society today and there are not many role models for the youth and children today even the parents are failing to be role models before them and by portraying mobile phone as the villain of the piece we are glossing over the parental failure in discharging their sacred duties to build the moral characters of their wards.If a child or student is exposed to the immoral world why mobile phone he or she would be tempted to do the mischief in many countless manners possible!A fever is not a disease but the symptom of a disease as the doctors opine.Similary any mobile misdeamnour can at best be held as a symptom of something rotten about our society for which we need to lay greater emphasis on moral education which falls in the realm of parental duties.Today prices are coming down for mobile phone with sophisticated features at an unbelievably lower price.The other day I was shown a handset priced at Rs1400 which contain bluetooth and et al!The same mobile phone which was used for sending lewd MMS could be turned into a valuable tool to tickle the imagination of a formative mind with appropriate parental guidance and care!

Lastly I question the very hypothesis that it is always liable to misues.Do we have any verifiable data? Any research work or even empirical data? None of my friends has referred to any!There are reported cases of misuse.What is its percentage to the total students users? Plain dogmatism and guesswork can lead us nowhere!Similarly emotion and prejudice can always cloud our judgement so we have to take a very balanced view of things to arrive at pragmatic solution to this problem.With these words I conclude and thank you all for being so free with your views!

Chinmoy wrote:
[quote]Lastly I question the very hypothesis that it is always liable to misues.Do we have any verifiable data? Any research work or even empirical data? None of my friends has referred to any!There are reported cases of misuse.What is its percentage to the total students users? Plain dogmatism and guesswork can lead us nowhere!Similarly emotion and prejudice can always cloud our judgement so we have to take a very balanced view of things to arrive at pragmatic solution to this problem.With these words I conclude and thank you all for being so free with your views! [/quote]

Before I conclude my argument, I would like to quote a few examples related to the health hazards of mobile phone usage!

1. The pioneering research of professor Henry Lai indicating the serious effect of mobile radiations has long been ignored by the mobile phone industry who (misleadingly) stated that his findings had not been confirmed. But this was only because no other replications had been made (a sound governmental health protection system should have allocated necessary funding for this but in stead it was ignored). But recently this serious effect has been corroborated by other studies: In December 2004, preliminary results of work by 12 groups in seven European countries, the "REFLEX Study", found that radiation at some cell phone levels damages DNA in a laboratory setting.

2. Alarming report - fivefold increased risk for brain tumors in children
Excerpts from The Independent (21.09.2008):
Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new research indicates.

The study, experts say, raises fears that today's young people may suffer an "epidemic" of the disease in later life.

David Carpenter, director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany and Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute both have confirmed that the brain cancer risk from cell phone use is far greater for children than for adults.

Herberman shoed a model for lawmakers showing how radiation from a cell phone penetrates far deeper into the brain of a five-year-old than that of an adult.

A paper published this month by the Royal Society in London found that adolescents who start using cell phones before the age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn't use a cell phone.

For those who are interested in reading more about conclusive studies related to the health hazards of using a bolie, please see link http://www.psrast.org/mobileng/mobilstarteng.htm#eusms

Finally, to conclude my side of the argument:

Since we have already seen and many have agreed to it, prolonged usage of a mobile phone in young people leads to a certain degree of addiction, purposeless spending of time in talking to friends or texting them for hours together, a time that should be spent either playing in fresh air or doing something much more creative such as pursuing a hobby or something similar.

Usage of phones also leads to decreased concentration in studies and fuzzy brain functions along with increased risks to many life threatening diseases, that I have touched upon in my previous post.

Also, there is certain immaturity in school going children as to the proper usage of mobiles and may lead to incidents that would harm someone's reputation (An example of the Delhi school girl whose MMS was circulated among the students of her school speaks volumes on this matter)

Access to such gadgets may also lead to cheating and unethical practices in exams instead of studying hard and preparing for the exams.

We talk at length about modern day gadgets being part of our life and hence cannot keep children away from them. True, but as parents and responsible adults, we can definitely put a foot down and draw a line. Even though a child may learn to drive a bike early on, would we give hima license to do so??
Similarly, something that we know is going to compromise his or her life later in the life, it is only p[rudent that we establish some strict guidelines against using the phone before time. Ideally that age would 18 onwards, but that may not possible in all scenarios, hence why can't we establish that line at age 16, like Gulshan has recommended??

It is true that coercion would draw only defensive reactions from children, but as parents we cannot and should not always give in to their demands, that we clearly know are not in their good interests.

Hence I seriously feel that children should not be allowed to use mobile phones and only after they are 16, they be allowed to carry one, but now with all hi-tech features such as bluetooth et. al.

Sorry friends for making another post as the last one was meant to be my concluding post but Kalyani's last post has necessitated this.

@Kalaynai

Nowhere in my posts I have questioned the hazardous effects of its misuses and rather I sought data on the actual misuses and the scenario in India.As far as other issues which you have raised I think I have made postion very clear on them based on my objective views in my posts.Thank you all once again!

So the discussion is over here.Thanks to all the participants.Wait two days to declare the results.