Running head: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMARTPHONES IN SOCIETY 1

The Implementation of Smartphones in Society (Rough Draft)

Lizbeth Reyes Acosta

Arizona State University

Abstract

The following essay is a persuasive composition aimed to convince a targeted audience on the

implementation of smartphones in elementary schools. Using information gathered from

scholarly sources and weeks’ worth of research, readers will be informed on both the positive

and negative effects associated with smartphone usage. To that extent, the audience will then

be introduced with renovating ideas as to how students would benefit from the cellular device

as well as be presented with a call to action.

Keywords: Smartphones, impact, education

The Implementation of Smartphones in Society (Rough Draft)

In a long-standing debate, individuals nationwide have argued on the effectiveness of the

telephonic invention. Although all parties agree that such an invention has been revolutionary to

the world of communications, a large number of people oppose its existence as they believe it

has caused serious implications to the human life. Taking into consideration the valid points

devised by both parties, my stance on the issue leads me to support the pioneering invention as

well as encourage its implementation in early childhood education in the state of Arizona. A. A.

Before taking a stance however, it is important to look at the great benefits of

administrating such an advanced technological device on children. For starters, a smartphone can

be used as a helpful tool to improve a child’s educational performance. With the many

capabilities a smartphone offers, children not only become better organized, but a child’s

cognitive abilities can easily be improved through the use of educational friendly applications.

Remind 101 for example, is an application which allows students to voluntarily sign up and

receive text notifications that will remind them of upcoming assignments. In a world in where

children are participating in extracurricular activities, are taking more than one educational

course, and are members of organized clubs, it is relatively easy for them to become

overwhelmed and forget to finish an assignment. With an application like Remind 101, not only

does a child have the opportunity to plan his or her studying, but parents are also given the

freedom to engage in their child’s education as the application allows them to monitor their

children’s homework. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

As improvising as this might sound, a large number of people will remain skeptical to

allow such a movement due to the vast number of research studies supporting the idea that health

implications have resulted from the use of mobile phones. In one instance for example, a
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMARTPHONES IN SOCIETY 4

publication composed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information stated that

“scientists have reported adverse health effects using mobile phones including changes in brain

activity, reaction times, and sleep patterns” (Naeem, 2014). As the article continues, references

to brain tumors and cancer is made in association with the use of cellular devices. Although quite

alarming, the article mentions a cohort study hosted in Denmark and proceeds to state that “the

analysis found no association between cell phone use and the incidence of glioma, meningioma,

or acoustic neuroma, even among people who had been cell phone subscribers for 13 or more

years” (Naeem, 2014). To that extent, although I do understand why many people would feel

frightened at the thought of acquiring such horrible diseases, it is vital to consider the facts. The

truth is that even though there are a handful of studies that attempt to link health risks with

mobile phone usage, there is no real evidence to support their claims. A. A. A. A. A. A.

What there is in fact, is research demonstrating how the device has improvised our daily

life. With the invention of the telephone, we now have the world at our fingertips. Not only has

the smartphone broken the barrier of communication that existed in the late 1800’s, but it has

also given us the power to challenge our intellection. With the internet just a tap away, an

individual can learn a magnitude of things. Toddlers for example, are developing impressive

cognitive abilities through the use of the internet and educational applications. Research

conducted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop discovered that certain

applications may have the power to improve children’s vocabulary and math skills. The evidence

is seen through the evaluation of 90 kids ages 3-7 who interacted with mobile based apps

programed by PBS KIDS. The study lasted over two weeks and it was concluded that the

children who had used both MARTHA SPEAKS and SUPER WHY programs had acquired the

ability to identify letters, rhyme, and even gained vocabulary comprehension. A. A. A. A. A. A.

Another study inclusively provided further evidence of the device’s beneficial

contribution to education. In this case, the study demonstrated that iPad applications had the

ability to boost language use and social interactions in children suffering from autism. As many

people know, “severe language impairments are a common characteristic of Autism Spectrum

Disorder” (ASD; DSM-V: American Psychiatrist Association, 2013). “Approximately over 80%

of children with ASD aged 5 years and younger who enter special education are non-verbal

(Bondy and Frost, 1994) and 30% are minimally verbal at 9-years (Anderson et al., 2007)”

(Allen et al., 2016). With those statistics in mind, researches set out to study the effects iPad

applications had on the linguistic abilities and social interactions of children with ASD. What

they found was “that across 17 studies, 93% of individuals improved their ability to

communicate by using an iPad or iPod as a multi-functional speech generating device (SGD)”

(Allen et al., 2016). In addition, “another recent study by Xin and Leonard (2015) found that

three minimally-verbal children with ASD successfully learned how to initiate requests, respond

to questions, and made more frequent comments after 6 weeks’ training on an SGD iPad app”

(Allen et al., 2016). A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

Before deciding on which stance to take, it is important for individuals to acknowledge

the statistics when choosing on whether or not to support the implementation of a smartphone in

early childhood education in the state of Arizona. Meanwhile there is a large variety of studies

from accredited organizations that provide disturbing information on possible health implications

and the use of smartphones, there is no established evidence that supports the claims being made.

On the other hand, studies conducted by trusted individuals provide concrete proof on how a

technological device has helped children with autism improve their cognitive abilities. To that

extent, it is vital to consider the great benefits of incorporating smartphones in schools. To begin
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMARTPHONES IN SOCIETY 6

with, a digital device gives students an open doorway to a wealth of information, knowledge,

tools, and educational resources. With the use of the internet, a student can learn up to a different

language or find the answer to appease his or her curious mind. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

Supplementing lessons with digital materials is another helpful advantage the device can

provide. Not only can it encourage participation and discussions, but digital content can be easier

to understand in comparison with written information. Historical events like Martin Luther

King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, man’s first step on the moon, and presidential speeches are all

examples of materials that could be better interpreted by a student as he/she can see the emotion

and deliverance behind the message of each video. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

At last, the final, most useful advantage having a smartphone has is the safety it provides

to students. Although painful to realize, it is important that we take into consideration the type of

society we live in today. With overall 24 school shootings occurring in the United States in the

year of 2018 alone, a phone could give parents a helpful peace of mind. To that extent, if

somebody were to fall down a flight full of stairs and get badly injured, students can easily call

the ambulance instead of wasting time looking for a teacher in hopes that he/she will make the

call fast enough. Knowing that in case of an emergency a child has immediate access to his/her

guardian or an authority can relieve any hidden worries. In addition, the GPS services found

within a smartphone can also help parents avoid distress as they can easily track their child down

if necessary. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

Despite the many benefits attributed to implementing cellular devices in educational

settings, there still exists the problematic obstacle. With iMessages and the internet just a tap

away, many individuals worry that allowing such a device in school settings can distract a child

from their coursework. Although the possibility does exist, with the proper guidelines and
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMARTPHONES IN SOCIETY 7

training, such issues can be avoided. To ensure this movement is successful, teachers will firstly

be provided with the correct professional development, training, and curriculum. Students will

then be taught about online safety, how to practice good judgement skills when deciding which

source is of quality, and how to restraint using the device from personal use. With everybody on

board, the new tool will be used as an opportunity to learn and grow. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A.

All in all, this movement can be used as a revolutionary way to break the barriers of

education. For years, teaching has been bounded to limited traditions. With teachers using

nothing but white boards, pens, and papers, students have been forced to settle with what was

given to them. Visual learners for example, had to find different ways to understand the material

being taught. Other children had to find a way to concentrate after hours spent on reading and

writing or had to pay the consequences if they didn’t. Even educators have endured struggles as

they had to manually grade hundreds of papers. With devices allowing a fun, interactive way for

students to learn and develop, it’d be absurd to deprive them from it. Whether or not you approve

of the new technology, the truth is that it has become an integrated necessity to today’s

generation. With that being said, it is important that schools accommodate themselves to the

students’ interests and learning styles. The time has come in where we stop resisting change

simply because we fear the unknown. The earlier this is done, the faster we can supply our

students with the resources they need so that they are able to become the best version they can

be.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMARTPHONES IN SOCIETY 8

References

Allen, M. L., Hartley, C., & Cain, K. (2015). Do iPads promote symbolic understanding and

word learning in children with autism? Frontiers in Psychology, 6. doi:

10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00138

Allen, M. L., Hartley, C., & Cain, K. (2016). IPads and the Use of “Apps” by Children with

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Do They Promote Learning? Frontiers in Psychology, 7. doi:

10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01305

Anderson, D. K., Lord, C., Risi, S., Dilavore, P.S., Shulman, C., Thurm, A., . . . Pickles, A. (2007).

Patterns of growth in verbal abilities among children with autism spectrum disorder.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75(4), 594-604. doi: 10.1037/0022-006x.75.4.594

Graham, E. (n.d.). Using Smartphones in the Classroom. Retrieved March 27, 2019, from

http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm

Kowalski, K. (2018, September 09). When smartphones go to school. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/when-smartphones-go-school

Naeem, Z. (2014). Health Risks Associated with Mobile Phones Use. International Journal of

Health Sciences, 8(4), V-Vi. doi: 10.12816/0023989

Parents Pass-Back Mobile Devices to Children But Are Skeptical of Educational Benefits. (2010,

November 10). Retrieved April 1, 2019, from

http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/press/parents-pass-back-mobile-devices-to-children-

but- are-skeptical-of-educational-benefits/