There was a time not so long ago when high school students carried nothing but a Trapper Keeper and some books through the hallways as they made their way to their next class.
Times have changed.
Today, notebooks have been replaced by smartphones, live chatting between students by Snapchat, and paper messages by Messenger.
Yes, it’s a brave, new world in high schools everywhere. But the question is, is it a better world? And the answer depends on to whom you talk.
Is it time for a complete ban on personal devices at Tracy Area High School? Should students be required to check their smartphones at the door? While that might seem like a stretch, TAHS Principal Tony Miller, who brought up the issue at the most recent District No. 2904 School Board meeting, says it’s time to do something to curb the cell phone epidemic in our schools.
“They are difficult to deal with in schools,” Miller said. “Social media has gone from Facebook, to Twitter, to Snapchat, and now TikTok — I think it’s an evolution of applications that are looking for your attention.”