With each passing year, Apple sets the world abuzz, releasing new phones and updates. This year, Apple has gained more popularity among younger generations, especially high school or college students. With new artificial intelligence (AI) features in apps and redesigned original apps, Apple is opening a new world of technology to the younger crowd. These tools given to users make the device not just a way to communicate with others, but also more useful for learning and creativity. However, new changes from Apple can raise controversy from all ages of users, causing a debate about whether these new tools are helping users, or if they are just unnecessary.
History teacher Meg Pierce strictly enforces South’s phone policy, by requiring students to keep their devices in the phone caddy the whole class period. Recently, she learned about a new IOS feature that allows students to screen mirror their phones to their Macbooks, allowing them to access their phones even when it is in the caddy. As a result, she has had to tighten her own computer policy as well.
“Students using their computers during class has become more problematic, and since their phones are away, they are using their computer more often,” Pierce said. “There needs to be a larger district-wide policy regarding students with Macbooks.”
Being a student with various Apple products can be exciting, features released from the new update like personalized Emojis, new camera effects, and the link between Siri and ChatGPT make it easy to find information quickly and get help with assignments. These new advantages can make Apple users feel a step ahead of other classmates who don’t have any Apple products.
Alissa Mourad ’27 uses all Apple products and is loving the new update. Allowing her to have more fun when texting, and the ability to use AI, these new updates do not seem unnecessary to her.
“I am obsessed with these new updates, it makes me feel superior over my other classmates,” Mourad said. “These updates are not unnecessary, they make the use of iPhones and Macbooks more futuristic and exciting.”
Although most teachers at South see iPhones as a threat to learning, Industrial arts teacher Brent Revello sees phones and computers as beneficial tools for education. The latest updates provide students with a more open approach to learning.
“I tend to see the phone as a tool, and we use it appropriately,” Revello said. “As a teacher, I can see that if students are not focused on learning, it can be disrespectful to the teacher. But, if the student used the technology as a way to learn, that is good skill development.”
Apple’s new features have sparked a discussion about their effects on students. Some teachers like Pierce are concerned about distracting from lessons, while other teachers like Revello view these tools as a big help to learning. And from a student’s perspective like Mourad, she enjoys the updates and feels more engaged.
Overall, this shows how everybody’s preference is different, from a student’s perspective or an adult’s perspective. The different perspectives show that schools need to rethink their policies to ensure technology helps students learn without causing distractions, rather than shutting phones out completely. Having students shut out electronics completely and having them feel like they have no control over their own personal gadgets, can cause a student to be more distracted rather than if they had their electronics on them.
“Having my phone and computer on me during class makes me feel safer, and more confident that I am more in control of my learning,” Mourad said.
