The Clickety-Clack, Clickety-Clack of fingers tapping away on keyboards. A quiet conversation here, a quiet discussion there. The teacher is checking a few emails here and there. A student rages. Everyone looks at them. The student looks embarrassed. Students rush to look at the students' screen only to find out they are playing a game. No one wants to work anymore. Once the teacher has the class back under control, they raise the question, "Should we have laptops in school?".

For a couple of decades now, Laptops in schools have been a necessity. They have made "sharing and gathering of information easier" (Laptops in Schools), meaning that students have access to the information they need 24/7 because of Google's vast databases. "There is also evidence that using laptops in schools improves students' writing skills, they suggest" (Laptops in Schools), "they also help students cultivate computer skills that will be useful once they enter the workforce" (Laptops in Schools). This suggests that having been on our laptops for 8+ hours a day will not only prepare us for the future when we join the workforce but might also improve our skills such as writing. Students will also learn to connect via social media and "help bridge the so-called 'digital divide' that separates students who have computers and high-speed Internet access from those who do not" (Laptops in Schools). Still, they will also learn to protect their personal information from anyone. 

Starting with iPads for the younger students will make them excited about their work and make a teacher's job easier. It also allows them to learn how to work individually from a young age. 

On the other hand, being on your device for nearly 8 hours a day purely at school is a lot of time. This is not good for you mentally and physically. Laptops in school will also "distract students in class and have not been conclusively shown to improve academic performance" (Laptops in Schools). Students end up personalizing their work with different fonts end changing the background colour instead of focusing on their task (trust me, I know). This causes students to not focus on their classes, meaning it is not improving their academic performances. Not to forget, laptops are expensive to buy and maintain, which might become a struggle for unstable households. There is always the chance it "Removes Children from Opportunities for Socialization" (The Pros and Cons of Technology in Education). Students will end up being focused on their screens or playing video games. Thus, you are not socializing with your friends, affecting your social and emotional growth. Let's not forget that parents always blame your phone, laptop, TV, etc., if anything happens. Their argument is always 'You are always on your phone! Every time I come into your room, you are on your phone instead of studying! In reality, you might be on a break or have a 'Best Friend Emergency' you NEED to attend.

Laptops in school have both strong positive and negative impacts, meaning it is a tough decision whether laptops belong in schools or not. Laptops give the freedom students want during school, but it also allows them to have everything they need at their fingertips. On the contrary, giving students freedom during school hours will make a higher chance of them getting addicted to their screens. Students will also have to stare at their laptops for 8+ hours every day during lessons and at home for homework. Therefore, I believe that students should be allowed to have laptops in school since we are now in the 21st century, and nowadays, everything we have in books, we also have online.

All in all, laptops can both distract and be an opportunity for students. They allow students to have fun while working in class. Students do have a distraction right under their noses for more than 8 hours every day, but students learn from mistakes if they miss an important lesson because of doing something else. Technology for education is and will continue to be debated. So, what do you think? Do you believe that schools having laptops have a positive or negative impact on us?