A Whole Lot of BS: Part 3

Cell phones: we all have them. They're useful for keeping in touch with friends, family, watching videos, and checking our social media pages. The first cell phone I had was a flip phone at the age of 17. My fellow millennials remember flip phones. Two decades later, I'm laughing at these schools in a plethora of states that have enacted cell phone bans. In many schools, students are required to place their cell phones in a case or lock them away until the end of the day. Supporters of such bans claim that they will help children focus more in the classroom, which I agree with, while opponents say that it doesn't address the root of the problem. School officials and lawmakers claim that these cell phone bans were all about "keeping children safe." Safe? From what and from who? The mental health aspect connected to cell phone bans is something that needs to address and taken very seriously. Parents have complained that social media apps have affected their children's mental health. When I received my very first cell phone, social media didn't exist yet. It's so easy to blame social media companies because of the apps that their children decide to use. However, I'm a huge advocate of people taking personal responsibility for their own actions. Parents need to monitor and manage their children's social media usage instead of them pointing fingers at the wrong people. As parents, your kids are your responsibility. Be actual parents to them, because social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok aren't your kid's babysitters. I know parenting is a difficult job, and you can't be everywhere at once, but I stand firm with my stance.

Finally, let's talk about social media policies employers enforce at their own places of employment. There have been stories over the years of people losing their jobs over things they shouldn't have been posting on social media, such as leaking secrets about their place of employment and filming themselves at work. Those two actions are definitely grounds for termination, and I have no problem with employers relieving people of their duties for those reasons. I also believe that someone is a representation of the company they work for and social media must be used responsibly. However, people aren't professional 24/7. The last thing you want to do is badmouth your boss or coworker online and being fired on Monday for it. Finally, prospective employees shouldn't be judged by prospective employers based on the things one posts online. Also, employers have no right to check someone's social media pages to see if they're a good fit for a company, which I would describe as them being creepy. As long as the content one posts online doesn't promote violence, hate, or anything inappropriate, it's none of an employer's business or concern. Also, an employer shouldn't automatically assume things about prospective employees based on their social media activities. Although what an employer deems as inappropriate can be vague and lack clarity. They need to stop looking down on people and pre-judging others. I don't add or follow coworkers online, because I value my privacy. I have a former coworker that used to work at the same place I'm currently employed with that I'm friends with on Facebook. The other reason why I don't add people I work with online is because they would complain about certain things I post they may not approve of. Besides, no one likes a tattletale. I agree with some of the logical rules employers implement towards their employees, such as employees not recording things about the company or themselves working, as that would be distracting to other people. However, many of these employers need to stop being so extreme with people using their cell phones. As long as an employee completes their tasks and are committed with their responsibilities, a boss being easily triggered over someone using their cell phone should be the least of their concerns. They (bosses/supervisors) should mind their own business and worry about themselves. A cell phone has no effect on one's performance. Me being on my cell phone every now and then has no effect on my performance at work. I'm a responsible person and committed to my responsibilities. So, bosses and supervisors need to stop making a big deal over someone using their cell phone. If an employee is doing a great job and committed to their duties, what's the issue? In other words, mind your own business and leave people alone. Stop being a snitch.

In conclusion, certain cell phone rules at school and work are dumb. Plus, they're laughable. There are more important things going on in the world than someone using the one thing that they rely on daily.