Phones are ruining everything. Students everyday are becoming more and more isolated from each other because of their phones. School buses, that were once a crazy, loud and hectic place for students to catch up with friends after a long day of school, have now become a place of absolute silence. When students are at lunch or study hall the break they get is used as a chance for them to get back on their phones and say goodbye to the world. However, in the classroom students can get a real chance to interact with their peers, to collaborate with them and to be present. The restrictions of phones in the class allow students to actually take a break from their phones, and all the distractions that come along with them, do their work and, of course, allow for a little socializing every now and then but in person. This is why children should not be permitted to attend classes away from school because it will allow for an increase in isolation, discourage collaboration and would lead to high level stress for parents.

If students get the chance to attend classes away from school it will increase their isolation even more. I was born in 2002 and have very fond memories of spending my childhood outside playing with my brothers and our neighbors. Now, in 2020, when I look at my neighborhood I see no children playing outside anymore. One might assume it is because all the former children are now grownup, however a new generation of children have moved into my neighborhood, they just do not play outside. Instead, this new generation, have phones or iPads that keep them locked up inside their homes. The isolation I have witnessed in my neighborhood because of technology is insane; and I fear the same thing could happen if distance learning was encouraged. The friends I have made at school and the memories we have created together are some of the most cherished ones in in life. It is absolutely heart-wrenching knowing that if distance learning was integrated into my school that younger students will continue to stay coped up in their houses and not get the chance to get amazing friends in school like I did. Many will say that children can make friends anywhere not just in school, but I think the majority can admit that they have had an amazing friend come into their life through going to school, and I think every child deserve to have that one special friendship.

Another reason why children should not attend classes outside of school is because it will discourage cooperation. Looking back on my time in school, the best part of having to do work was the social aspect of it. I loved doing group projects and assignments because, although it was work, it did not feel like it in a group setting. With distance learning it will become ten times harder to be able to collaborate on projects. Yes, it will be possible, but only for the students that have the technology at home, leaving the other students forced to do these projects by themselves. This will not only make cooperation on classwork limited to a few students, but also make the ones that do not possess the technology required feel less than. Some could say that if this is the issue students can work together on one device, however that would only work if these students could somehow get to the same location putting a strain on parents to make that happen. It could possibly bring stress to a lot of families; whereas if classes were actually at school this stress could easily be avoided.

The last reason I do not think giving students the opportunity to attend classes away from school is because it will create a lot of unnecessary stress for parents. While children are at school they also are under the supervision of adults for eight hours. With distance learning, not every family will be able to make sure their children are fine and taken care for when they are at home attending class. The stress could become even worse if families had to find a trustworthy adult to watch of their child putting potentially a hard financial burden for them. Now, some may say there is an easy to solution to this problem by limiting distance learning to high school students, but many high school students and their families would feel a lot more at ease knowing that they are not alone but surrounded by adults and also friends.

Although I think that distance learning could work in a perfect world, the harsh realities of the every day student would not make it easier on them. In this new age of technology I think it is extremely crucial, especially with younger students, to take every chance they have for real socialization and collaboration and not stifle it. It should be encouraged to attend class at school allowing for parents to be less stress and students to have a place where they are technology free.