The student council is holding a meeting at the cafeteria while the school basketball team is practicing for their upcoming game. These things are called extracurricular activities. The principle has decided these things are mandatory. I think students shouldn't have to participate in extracurricular activities because students schedules and students being forced to do something they dont want to do.

Lots of students have busy lives. Students and their parents could have something planned or reserved for a certain time.( going to parties, a get together, vacations/trips, shopping etc.) The activity and plan might collide, which probably would cause rescheduling and chaos. Students could also already have an activity outside of school. How I see it in my mind is that if someone already takes a sport (outside of school) and now has to take another activity in school. They would have less time, less motivation, and more work. Our four core classes and two electives already give us plenty of homework to do. Doing an activity will require more effort and less time to do the homework from our classes. Whether it be a writing assignment for the student council, doing work for the yearbook club or practicing for a sport.

Students may feel forced to do an activity they dont like. For some kids their might not be an activity they enjoy and then proceed to pick one they dont like. Doing this could make them resent school or feel some type of sadness. Their also could be a large demand for one activity a student has applied for. After applying the student learns hes been excluded because of maximum limit of people in one club. The student is now in a club he doesn't enjoy. If I was in the student shoes i would feel like the school has been unfair or betrayed me. Being forced to do something is almost never a good thing. especially if you don't enjoy it. Forcing anyone to do something they don't want to do could cause a state of depression, anxiety or a fear of it.

However, participating in extracurricular activities would mean less screen time. Students can socialize and plus most teenagers are addicted to their phones and its not healthy for them at all. Doing activities will decrease the time by a good percentage. Being addicted to anything is definitely not healthy but, being forced to do something isnt either. In my opinion more screen time is better than doing something you resent because you are enjoying it and you are also technically socializing by messaging or calls. All in all lots of screen time may not be healthy, but its better than participating in activity you dont like.

In conclusion it shouldn't be mandatory to be in an extracurricular activity because of the schedules of students and being forced to do something you dont want to do. Activities will interfere with these things causing chaos and even resenting school. This is my honest opinion on this decision. If you take the time to think about this decision, you'll realize whos going to be effected and how they are going to be effected. This is why I disagree about having to participate in extracurricular activities.