The first computer was built in 1944, Mark I, and it weighed five tons. All it did was math calculations, according to PC Tech magazine. That same technology and so much more is now the size of your back pocket. Cell phones can make calls, order groceries, share videos, and so much more all with the ease of a few taps. The lives of Schuyler Central High School students and staff have been made easier with phones, but life would be starkly different if these magic boxes suddenly disappeared. 

From young children to senior citizens, nearly everyone has a cell phone. They’re used for a number of tasks that make our day easier. Dr. Joseph Lefdal, the Director of Student Services at SCHS, says that he uses his phone as “my alarm clock, TV, reading, games, geocaching, help to find disc golf courses, and to get directions”. All of these services were provided by one electronic device. Without a phone, he’d have to use a traditional alarm clock, pick up a book, and frequently pull over to ask for directions while driving. Phones provide a solution to many different problems. 

Phones were first used as basic communication devices. Two people on the opposite sides of the earth can chat after just a few rings. Communicating would be more of a challenge over long distances without phones. “Yelling loudly” would be the main form of communication for Seth Paesl, a Social Studies teacher, if his phone disappeared. Henry Avalos says that he “would have to wait until [he] saw them in person” to communicate. 

 There is no argument against the fact that phones have made our lives easier. They act as a means of communication, entertainment, and completing work. Phones have a major impact on the lives of SCHS students and staff, and the school day would be very different without them.