Editorials

By Nain Munoz

The use and purpose of cell phones have changed drastically over the years. Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone at Macworld in 2007 which revolutionized the smartphone into a highly advanced, omnipresent device that vaguely resembles the old rotary predecessors. No longer restricted by physical keyboards, watered-down software, and weak hardware, the smartphone exploded in popularity and now accounts for about half of internet traffic (statista.com) and yet, smartphones are typically prohibited in the classroom. However, could the transition to online learning and technology integration in the classroom change this rule?

A survey done by commonsensemedia.org found that about 87% of teenagers between the ages of 13-18 own a personal smartphone and about 59% of teens admit to using technology for homework every day. Increased dependence on technology to perform responsibilities and widespread access to smartphone devices would naturally cause the two to integrate together. I presented a poll to high school students with a smartphone and access to the internet asking whether or not they used their device for school-related purposes. From a sample of 137 students, 93% percent of them used their smartphones for school-related purposes ranging from submitting assignments to attending class on Zoom.

Though, phones may seem obsolete when PUSD students all have access to personal Chromebooks for school use. Most homework is assigned through Google Classroom or an equivalent platform that can easily be accessed and completed on the Chromebook and the Chromebook still includes many of the same hardware features as a smartphone including cameras and cloud saving. However, the Chromebook still falls behind the smartphone in terms of accessibility and ease of use. Senior Valerie Chou explains “I usually take pictures of my math homework to submit or I complete my assignments right on my phone when I’m away from home”.  Of course, many online programs like Google Docs, Slides, and Excel work best on desktop or laptop computers, but the small structure and access to cellular connection allow students to complete assignments away from the computer.

 Students with video assignments will vouch that the camera and microphone quality of smartphones far surpass those of the Chromebooks and the pool of applications available on smartphones broadens the flexibility and uses of a phone. In the same poll, students expressed their usage of their phones to scan physical pages and convert the images into pdf files to then submit them in Google Classroom. Sophomore Faith Garcia explains “I use my phone for this app called Adobe Scan to take great quality photos of my notes”. 

Other nuanced uses of a phone in class exist too. For music students, the app store is brimming with tuner and metronome applications for free that most music directors require students to download. For math and science classes, most phones already include a calculator app preinstalled, but a free version of the HP Prime Graphing Calculator is available to download complete with a majority of features necessary for advanced math. The voice assistant and browser will mostly suffice for other subjects but niche applications like a dictionary for languages are still available. Not to mention the ever-growing amount of educational websites converting into apps such as Khan Academy, Quizlet, and Canvas.

As technology further integrates into the common classroom and children are exposed to technology sooner than ever before, the bridge between technology and learning can be further enhanced by incorporating technology students are already familiar with into the environment. The flexibility and adaptability of the smartphone would make this transition much smoother.

By Juliana George

Many Americans have seen wage cuts and job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Jeff Bezos and other billionaires have been thriving. The Amazon tycoon’s net worth increased by $48 billion just between March and June, and the fortunes of the United States’ remaining billionaires have increased by $589 billion in total during the pandemic. Why is the top 1% profiting in the midst of an all-encompassing economic downturn? 

One contributor to the widening gap between the rich and the poor is the high volume of government stimulus allocated for already wealthy corporations. While most adult citizens have received $1200 in stimulus to cover a six month period of virus-related recession, $500 billion in government relief has been donated to a bailout fund for large corporations affected by COVID-19. Individual recipients of stimulus checks likely spent the money on household necessities, assisting the economy, whereas corporate beneficiaries of pandemic relief funds now have a surplus of money to invest in the stock market. 

Another factor in billionaire success during the pandemic is tax laws that aid the affluent. A tax cut implemented by the Trump administration in 2017 decreased taxes on the lower and middle class by an average of $143 per household while decreasing taxes on the top 1% by an average of $17,800 per household, disproportionately favoring individuals with yearly salaries between $500,000 and $1,000,000. This conservative tax policy existed before the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus a global pandemic, but it reflects a system naturally designed to benefit the rich regardless of the country’s economic circumstances at any given time. 

The way the United States’ capitalist society is currently structured, the wealthy can profit, even during worldwide misfortunes like the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the most feasible solutions for reducing the vast wealth gap include progressive tax reform and diversion of stimulus packages to individuals and small businesses.