As the last of the assignments are submitted, a new tab opens up. With a satisfied sigh, sophomore Ailea Barden leans back; the weight of the day lifted off her shoulders. For a moment, the classroom quiets. She can now unwind.
Not being allowed to be on their phones in class anymore, students explore new alternatives to stay entertained like movies, games and online chats with friends. Gmail has become one of the main ways to stay connected to friends. It gets by the no cell phone rule while still staying in touch.
“Most students would probably choose Gmail to chat with their friends after classwork because it’s easy, familiar and they already use it for school purposes,” Barden said. “It’s convenient and practical, making it a great choice for chatting too.”
FCPS is giving students the option to use their own devices from home, which is often referred to as BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device. Some students use the BYOD option in FCPS to get around certain limitations while still participating in activities they enjoy the most such as playing games or watching movies.
“By using my personal laptop, I can play games instead of doing my schoolwork,” senior Aaryan Katoch said. “I feel like students should be given some degree of autonomy in the sense of researching websites, but obviously playing games is not exactly optimal. I believe school network restrictions should be there.”
Feeling disengaged or distracted in class, students may turn to their laptops to play games for entertainment. They use it to relax during lessons, and temporarily escape the pressure of their studies.
“I like to play the New York Times games because they’re just fun and simple and they’re kind of challenging sometimes,” freshman Badia Belkacem said. “It’s pretty fun to figure it out and get help from your friends.”
When students feel uninterested or distracted during their classes, one option is to watch movies to keep themselves entertained and engaged. This can help them take a mental break and refocus their attention.
“Students in class watch movies because they are stressed and want to clear their minds,” junior Gabriela Velasco said. “Watching movies is something for students to rewind their mindset and relax.”
A Nov. 7 poll of 103 students in the cafeteria found that 54.4% of them tend to do an activity of their choice when their work has finished. Approximately 46% of students turned to their Chromebooks if they are bored in class or need a break. A majority of students tend to email their friends, 29.7% watch movies or Youtube and 30.7% play games.
“I think students typically finish their classwork first to avoid falling behind and to manage their time,” Barden said. “Once their work is done they can relax with activities like movies, games, or chatting on Gmail.”
