Jennifer Velazquez – Allow ALL Access
I understand why Cathedral High School chose to restrict apps like games and messages for underclassmen, but I believe this rule does more harm than good. Instead of teaching responsibility, it avoids it. If students never get the chance to manage distractions, how will they ever learn self-control?
High school is supposed to prepare us for the real world. Out in the world, no one is going to block distractions for us. We will always have access to our phone, social media, and entertainment. By allowing apps on school iPads, underclassmen can begin learning how to balance their time now instead of being suddenly expected to figure it out later. If a student chooses to waste time playing games, that should be their consequence. Learning from mistakes is how responsibility develops.
Instead of banning apps completely, schools could focus on better monitoring. Platforms like Apple Classroom already allow teachers to see if students are keeping track of what they’re doing. Teachers can clearly see who is staying on task and who is falling behind. This shifts the focus from control to accountability, which is a much more effective life skill.
As Mia Morris ‘27 explains, “if we never get the chance to have apps, we are not learning how to handle distractions. That’s not helping us for the future.” This perspective shows how students themselves recognize the importance of learning responsibility early on.
While concerns about safety and distractions are valid, completely removing access is not the solution. Schools can still implement restrictions on unsafe communication while allowing harmless apps. Trust should not suddenly appear in junior year or senior year. It should be built over time.
In the end, giving underclassmen controlled access to apps is not about entertainment. It is about growth. If we are trusted to learn, we should also be trusted to manage how we learn.
Yackie Castro – Reasonable to lock down Apps
The underclassmen don’t have the ability to download any games on their iPads. For some, this isn’t a problem but for a majority of the underclassmen, it is a commonly debated issue.
Enforcing these rules benefits students’ academic and social skills. Restricting games on underclassmen’s devices will allow students to pay more attention in class rather than procrastinate their work and play games instead.
Underclassmen may not have the best self-control, causing games to become a huge distraction. They are still learning to manage their time and balance their school work, making it challenging for students to accomplish completing assignments in class.
Although it can be very boring and frustrating for students, it will help them build internal discipline for themselves. This skill will be used all throughout their high school years and throughout college, making it very important for them to master the skill of having discipline. Furthermore, restricting games on underclassmen’s iPads allows them to excel in their ability to perform well along with expanding their personal discipline.
School iPads are for educational purposes, not for personal entertainment. Students are expected to do academic work during class, not play games. Having games available on their iPads creates a greater temptation for students to disobey teachers’ orders to turn off electronics in class.
Another reason as to why underclassmen don’t need entertainment games on their school iPads is due to some safety measures. For example, there are many risks that come with being active online playing games with strangers. This can lead to a leak in personal information, and this as a result can be unsafe for the students if they are exposed to strangers and unmonitored chats and activities.
Abigail Eldridge ‘27 said, “I think underclassmen students should prioritize making a better use of their time at school. When they have free time they should use this time to complete assignments and homework. They could also use this time to build connections with classmates instead of focusing on games, helping them learn to communicate, get along with others, and build stronger relationships with their peers.”
