New technology has reached the hands of South El Monte High School students. For the foreseeable future, Chromebooks will be playing a big role in the lives of our students, teachers, and staff. Although Chromebooks are here to facilitate the work for students and teachers, many complications about them have arisen.

Distractions in the classroom are one problem that come along with having a Chromebook. In some cases students may surf the web continuously, while the teacher is teaching an important lesson. This could lead to the student falling behind on lessons and will lead to their grades dropping. In addition some students may spend an excess amount of time on social media and other unnecessary platforms. Teachers must be vigilant to implement proper Chromebook use in their classrooms so some students won’t take advantage of the technology. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that Chromebooks will present issues for our teachers and students if precautionary measures aren’t taken and enforced throughout the year.

There are a number of issues that can take a toll on students’ health. For example, eye strain is one health problem that can come from staring at a laptop for an extended amount of time. According to the American Optic Association people who use electronic devices regularly can experience neck pain, shoulder pain, and other unwanted disorders.

One type of disorder that arises from viewing computer screens too long is Computer Vision Syndrome, which is a vision-related problem caused by viewing digital screens for too long. For that reason, students should be aware that staring at a screen for a long period can damage their eyesight and can cause upper body pain. Due to these health problems, students should become familiar with themselves and their body, so that they don’t experience unpleasant symptoms.

In addition the expenses of a lost or stolen Chromebook can financially cost a student or their family. According to the El Monte Union High School District website, a damaged device is the student’s responsibility and may incur fines and removal from the check-out program. According to Rocely Vazquez, a senior at South El Monte High School, “Having to pay for a Chromebook if it’s lost or stolen is one of the negative aspects of carrying it around.” Rocely also added that having it in her backpack is a risk because she feels as if it might break.

Moreover, the extra responsibility a student has to deal with because they use a school-owned Chromebook. Although the El Monte Union High School District has provided all their students with Chromebook cases, based on a sample of students polled, approximately one in five students will carry their Chromebook case around.

According to Michelle Mendoza, a junior attending SEMHS, she stated, “I don’t like carrying around my Chromebook case because I can’t carry it in my backpack. The case is heavy and bulky.” Also, a SEMHS student Metzli Estrada claimed, “The reason I don’t carry my Chromebook case around is for safety issues. Due to the fact that I walk home from school, I get scared that one day someone will try to steal it from me.”

Despite the help a Chromebook brings to students, various compelling factors are affecting the lives of our learners. From being a distraction in the classroom, to becoming an unwanted health problem in the future, to being charged for a stolen or broken digital device, these are just some of the problems that have arisen from the few months students have had these devices. All things considered, you can now ask yourself if this change was the best option for our students.