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Josh Howard

Ms. Wilson

English II Honors

May 10th, 2019

Teens and their unusual addiction to their smartphones and other technology

Smartphones are a huge problem all over the world. 95% of teens in America have

smartphones (Hayashi) and nearly all of them use their smartphones daily. This is an issue do to

teens getting into more car accidents, being antisocial, and not paying attention in class. These

issues can almost certainly be avoided by teens using the hands free bluetooth feature in most

cars, putting down their phones more often, and setting timers to restrict their phone usage.

There are more car accidents caused by teens on their phones not paying attention to the

road then there are accidents not caused by a driver on their phones. There are 1.6 million car

crashes caused by people on their phones every year. The number of crashes can be limited if the

drivers in the accidents used the bluetooth in there car to keep their attention on the road. If the

teen drivers weren't looking at their phones then they might have been able to avoid the accident

before it happened. These drivers also had the option to not use their phones at all while they

drive, including bluetooth. However this is unlikely because many teens grow up watching their

parents use their phones while driving, setting a bad example for the maturing kids. Although

this is an uncommon option, it is still the best choice because a driver not using any electronics

allows them to keep all of their attention on the road. Conversely the driver can still be distracted

when they are using the bluetooth in their car. This is a bigger issue with teen drivers because
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more teens use their phones while that are driving than adults do. However using a phone while

driving is still an important problem with adults as well.

Teens are losing important social skills because they are spending all of their free time on

their phones instead of being social. Many teens are using their phones instead of socializing

with other students. In many cases teens would rather use their phones then go to a party or talk

to their peers. This is causing teens to lose vital social skills that they will inevitably need for job

interviews, collaborating with coworkers, talking to store employees, going on a date, etc. Teens

being addicted to their smartphones could lead them to a path of addictions to other technology

or substances. Since many of these teens get their first smartphone at an early age such as 10,

then they might never develop the social skills in the first place. One solution is to set a timer to

limit the amount of time that one would spend on their phones a day. Additionally the teen could

find someone to talk to such as a parent. A teens who utilizes this strategy would be less likely to

lose their social skills do to them spending less time on their phones and more time talking with

friends and family. Additionally the teen would get used to the limited hours and be less tempted

to use their phones excessively.

Some teens are getting worse grades in class because they are spending the majority of

their time on their phones. Most teachers are lenient when it comes to phone usage in the

classroom; making it a fun, laid back option for students to use their phone during class instead

of paying attention to the teacher and learning. When these students don’t pay attention in class

their grades will usually decrease do to the student not knowing the content and being unable to

finish their work. This can lead to the student dropping out of school. Students can decide to not

use their phones during class to limit distractions and help them pay attention and to learn.
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Teachers usually don’t want to limit phones in fear of being the “lame teacher”. However

teachers might have to ban phones in class in order to keep students paying attention and

learning. Either solution would help students pay attention in class and subsequently increase

their grades.

Therefore teens should not use their phones while they are driving, set a timer to limit

their phone usage during the day, and put their smartphones away during class. Doing so would

help to prevent a teen from getting into a car accident, preserve a teens social skills, and limit

distractions for the student in the classroom. Ultimately leading to a successful teenager and

student.
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Works Cited

Farris, Alexis M. "LOL? Texting while driving is no laughing matter: proposing a coordinated

response to curb this dangerous activity." ​Washington University Journal of Law & Policy​, vol.

36, 2011, p. 233+. ​Academic OneFile​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A275849600/AONE?u=ncowl&sid=AONE&xid=a8093d6c.

Accessed 2 May 2019.

Hayashi, Yusuke, et al. "Threat appeals reduce impulsive decision making associated with

texting while driving: A behavioral economic approach." ​PLoS ONE​, vol. 14, no. 3, 2019, p.

e0213453. ​Academic OneFile,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A577475988/AONE?u=ncowl&sid=AONE&xid=3baf13ee.

Accessed 2 May 2019

"Texting while driving." ​Trial​, Sept. 2018, p. 12. ​Academic OneFile,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A554180571/AONE?u=ncowl&sid=AONE&xid=992f19f6.

Accessed 2 May 2019.

Problem-Solution Essay (Honors)

Score: /50
W.9-10.2.​ Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
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Standard Exceptional (10-9) Proficient (8-7) Emerging Not Evident

(6-1) (0)
2.a.​ ​Introduction​ - ❏ Write an introduction that is clear, ❏ Write an introduction that is
Introduce a topic; focused, and concise and that clear, focused, and concise
organize complex creatively hooks the reader ❏ Provide context to your topic
❏ Provide ​detailed​ context to your topic ❏ Present a thesis that presents
ideas, concepts, and
that aids the reader in their an opinion on a topic
information to make understanding ❏ Establish an appropriate
important ❏ Present a thesis that presents a ​clear organization to illustrate the
connections and opinion on a ​narrow​ topic. problem solution element of
distinctions; include ❏ Establish​ an effective and the essay
formatting (e.g., sophisticated ​organization to
headings), graphics illustrate the problem solution
element of the essay
(e.g., figures, tables),
and multimedia when
useful to aiding
comprehension.

2.b.​ ​Argument​ - ❏ Use ​effective, highly relevant​, and ❏ Use appropriate, relevant, and
Develop the topic sufficient evidence ​consistently ​that sufficient evidence with an
with well-chosen, is appropriate to a understanding of understanding of the
the audience’s knowledge audience’s knowledge
relevant, and
❏ Use ​textual evidence​ to support your ❏ Use textual evidence; introduce
sufficient facts, argument; provide ​relevant​ and textual evidence
extended definitions, sufficient​ introductions to your ❏ Provide explanations for
concrete details, textual evidence. evidence
quotations, or other ❏ Provide ​clear​ ​and logical​ explanations ❏ Use appropriate formatting,
information and that connect the evidence to the graphics, and/or multimedia
examples appropriate main idea of the essay that is appropriately aligned
❏ Use formatting, graphics, and/or with the text (if applicable)
to the audience’s
multimedia ​effectively to​ ​enhance
knowledge of the the text (if applicable)
topic.

2.c​. ​Organization​ - ❏ Use ​effective ​transitions ​consistently ❏ Use appropriate transitions

Use appropriate and
varied transitions to
link the major
sections of the text,
create cohesion, and ❏ Organize sentences and paragraphs in
clarify the
relationships among
complex ideas and
concepts.
between and within paragraphs to
link major sections of the text, to
create unity and cohesion, ​and to
create the problem solution pattern
of organization of the essay
a logical manner that promotes unity
and focus​ throughout the essay.
between and within
paragraphs to link ideas and to
create unity and cohesion
❏ Organize sentences and
paragraphs in a logical manner

X
2.d.​ ​Language​ - ​Use ❏ Use precise and language and domain ❏ Use precise language and
precise language and specific vocabulary ​consistently ​to domain specific vocabulary to
domain-specific manage the complexity of the topic manage the complexity of the
❏ Use ​effective ​word choice and syntax topic
vocabulary to
consistently ​to establish and maintain ❏ Use appropriate word choice
manage the a formal style and objective tone and syntax to
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complexity of the ❏ Avoid repetition, redundancy, and ❏ establish a formal style and
topic. wordiness to create a ​concise and objective tone that is
2.e.​ ​Language​ - focused​ argument maintained throughout
❏ Avoid repetition, redundancy,
Establish and
and wordiness
maintain a formal
style and objective
tone while attending
to the norms and
conventions of the
discipline in which
they are writing.

2.f.​ ​Conclusion​ - ❏ Summarize the main points ​using ❏ Summarize the main points
Provide a concluding original language and clear ❏ Address implications or
statement or section organization significance
❏ Articulate a ​extension ​that addresses
that follows from and
the implications or significance in a
supports the way that ​relates to the audience
information
or explanation
presented (e.g.,
articulating
implications or the
significance of the
topic).

MLA Style & Formatting Rubric

Requirements Your Score

MLA Style Heading and Page Numbers (2 pts.)

❏ The document has a heading including the author’s name, the
teacher’s name, the class and the date 2/2
❏ The document has page numbers in the top right of the page with
the author’s last name

Margins, Font, Spacing (2 pts.)

❏ The author uses 12-pt Times New Roman font 2/2
❏ The author uses double spacing throughout

In-Text Citations (3 pts.)

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❏ The writer includes parenthetical citations after each

quotation/paraphrase from an outside source 1.5/3
❏ The citation includes the author or article name and page number
(if any)
❏ The citation is punctuated correctly

Example 1: “This is a fake quotation” (Wilson 1).

Example 2: “This is a fake quotation” (“Article Name” 1).

Works Cited Page (3 pts.)

❏ The author includes a Works Cited Page
❏ The items in the Works Cited listed are given in alphabetical 3/3
order by the author’s last name
❏ The Works Cited page is formatted correctly: 12 pt Times New
Roman, double-spaced, left justification (DO NOT CENTER
YOUR WORKS CITED PAGE)

Total MLA Score:

8.5/10