Officials in the UK have been discussing banning mobile telephones from classrooms to improve discipline among students over the past few days.


There are many other causes of bad behaviour among young people today, and it sometimes seems that governments are failing to address the real issues which continue to contribute to cultural problems.


It is also true to say that technology is often blamed for problems far outside its sphere of influence. In modern society, technology is integral to most aspects of life and is difficult to separate it from the way we interact with each other and the world around us.

Recent advancements in technology have brought incredible benefits to modern living, but they also bring problems, and dependence on electronic devices is certainly one of these. How often have you sat with a group of friends, seemingly enjoying conversation before noting that certain members of the gathering have turned to their BlackBerry or iPhone, unable to leave their mobile phones alone and having to check their screens every couple of minutes.

Similarly, attending public events has changed immeasurably in recent years. Consider the last time you were a member of an audience and didn’t hear the irritating sound of a text message or call being received during the performance. Mobile devices have spawned new trends in social behaviour.

There are acceptable times to pick up your phone and calls not worthy of an answer. Similarly there are text messages and e-mails which are not important enough to demand a response depending on the social situation in which you find yourself.

This new world of mobile device etiquette is continuing to develop, but unfortunately it brings with it a whole new way for people to be rude to one another and a modern way to feel rejection.

On a more serious note, the fact that mobile devices are affecting young people’s education is an indication that they have gone too far, and something should be done to ensure that our lives do not become completely dominated by the items we carry in our pockets.

Banning children from using their mobiles in class seems to be a no-brainer. Officials have claimed that they disrupt lessons and prevent effective learning, which is understandable. In fact, the question should be, why have some schools chosen not to ban mobile phones already?

This issue is sure to raise a debate in the UK, and there will be people who claim this is simply another example of the nanny state trying to exert control over every aspect of modern life. They are missing the point entirely.

Mobile phones have made many things about our lives easier, but we need to remember that they are a means to an end as opposed to an end in themselves, and people need to remember how it felt when they didn’t get withdrawal symptoms after not checking their phone for more than five minutes.