By Kristen Shepard
Staff Writer

It is the same case everyday: a monotonous lecture by that teacher whose voice bores you to death. It seems almost impossible not to pull out your phone and send a quick message to your friend or parent or boyfriend.

Before you know it, you’ve texted up a storm, all in the middle of class. Even if your teacher doesn’t spot you, texting in class can lead to serious problems in school and later in life.

Whether it is a quick message to your parents about tutoring or a shout-out to your best friend, texting in class is controversial to teachers, parents and students. And in an age where texting is the answer to more communication problems than ever before, the lines are blurring between when texting is appropriate and when it is not.

To many high school students, texting in class becomes an addiction. We all know the type: the student who is probably texting 10 people at a time, all during class. More specifically the type of students who usually walk into class and say, “Wait, we have a test today?” From bell to bell, students like this keep their phone on their desk.

According to the American Public Health Association, teen hyper-texters, students that send over 120 messages during the school day, are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drugs and alcohol. Put most simply, teens connected to their phones during class are disconnecting from reality.

Another risk these hyper-texting students take on is their stress level. Students who text in class also showed unhealthy stress management. By focusing on their conversations, these students are exhibiting poor time-management that leads to that ever so typical late night homework breakdown.

It only makes sense; curriculum in high school is just too demanding to allow your self to be distracted.

Regardless of the fact that nearly every class syllabus reads, “No Phones in Class,” Many students argue that phones can have benefits inside the classroom.  Junior Taylor Nifong understands how texting in class can have benefits.

“Sometimes high schoolers can get really busy, and I can understand how you would need to ask a question or send a message”, Nifong said, “It’s not really a problem if you can fire off a quick message without spacing out during class. But when people text the entire period, that’s a different story.”

One of the reasons that texting is so popular is its convenience. You can reach anyone at anytime, and there is generally a pretty quick return time. These conveniences have obvious benefits inside the classrooms.

First off, texting can work wonders in terms of group projects. When a team member is absent or out of the room, texting makes it easy to keep them in the loop. More commonly than ever, teachers are making exceptions to their classroom rules to allow students to text group members.

Texting can also play a big role in managing a hectic schedule. From tutoring, to football games, and even club meetings, it is easy to forget what events you have scheduled for the week. Getting a reminder text from a parent or club president can serve as that memory spark that keeps students on track.

Even the most diligent of students can find a crutch in texting during class, and doing so can develop bad habits that are hard to rid of. In the workplace, texting in meetings and seminars is simply unacceptable. Chances are, your boss won’t care that you paid attention most of the meeting; texting at the wrong times is rude, both in the workplace and in the classroom.

Even though texting can sometimes benefit students in the classroom, almost all teachers say save it for the passing periods. The effects of over-texting in class are almost never worth it. With the exception of the quick message before class, you would be better off just leaving your phone in your bag and resisting the urge to stay in touch with your friends for the time being.