Middle School Spotlight is an occasional series showcasing Archer middle school students who are learning about journalism. These were written for a class assignment then submitted to The Oracle. Outstanding pieces were selected for publication by the Editorial Board.

Cell phones are like most things in life. When you use them in moderation they’re fine, but when we begin to overuse them and get attached and even obsessed with them is when a problem arises.

So why are cellphones such a big problem for our generation these days? After all, isn’t the purpose of a cell phone to call and keep in touch with others? Well if you thought all these smartphones do is call, then you’re honestly living under a rock! The amount of things we can do on these tiny five to six inch phones is mind blowing. Calling, texting, taking photos, shopping, social media and so much more!

Our cell phones are like our security blankets. We feel satisfied and safe when we have them in our possession. Many of us even go to bed with under our pillow or next to us. It’s almost like our cell phones come first.

I’ve noticed that the first thing my friends and I do when we’re together is take out our phones and Snapchat each other. It’s kind of a priority to make sure all your followers know what party you’re at or who you’re having a sleepover with. Our cell phones are the center of drama and instead of using them to connect with people we are often disconnecting with others.

When I questioned a friend if she could last two weeks without her phone she replied by saying, “No because of streaks.” If you aren’t aware of what streaks are you should probably first familiarize yourself with the app Snapchat. This multibillion dollar application has a feature where in the simplest form, two people send a snapchat to one another everyday to earn a streak. The score gradually gets higher as the continuous days go on. The catch is that if you forget to send a snapchat one day, your entire streak is lost. 

In a CNN article titled, “Do you obsessively check your smartphone?” Elizabeth Cohen reviews a study done on phone usage. “On average, the study subjects checked their phones 34 times a day,” she wrote. “Not necessarily because they really needed to check them that many times, but because it had become a habit or compulsion.”

I personally think what Cohen is saying is extremely interesting, and we should all take what she said into consideration. Our phones are helpful and do benefit us in many ways, but we can often lose control. In my opinion as long as we use them in moderation were fine. My only concern is when we let our phones control us.