Of all tools in a student’s tool box, his or her phone is the most essential.

There are 4.88 billion phone users. And, roughly 97% rely on their phones for more than just phone calls. Smartphones have taken over people’s lives. “Everyone nowadays has a phone, and mostly everyone does everything on their phones,” notes Alexia Segura, a sophomore. Segura also noted, “My phone is important because I do everything on it…and most of my things in my phone.”

With today’s technology, no longer does anyone have to rely on “old fashioned” ways of accessing information. There is literally an app for almost every need–from checking one’s pulse to checking the time. Yes, phones have replaced clocks in many homes and businesses. “I use my phone as my alarm clock,” Jazmine Arroyo, a sophomore, shares. “So, my phone is very important to me. I count on my phone. If it wasn’t for my phone,  I wouldn’t be at school!” Arroyo provides another important example. “I have my bank account on my phone, so my phone is like my mobile credit card.”

A user’s phone has everything needed in it. Instead of watching the news on the TV, users have the news on their phone, making it clear that phones are their No. 1 priority. “I do think smartphones are taking over our lives,” adds in sophomore Darreon Newson, “because people act like they can’t live without their phones and that they need it 24/7.” This is definitely a downside to them. Newson also points out how phones are causing problems at both school and work. “They are becoming a distraction.” While some students do use their phones for studying or doing homework, the primary reason they are on them at school is for social media purposes. The same can be seen in the working world, as well. With 3.92 billion social media user access networks using a mobile device, it is not surprising that people are consumed by them–even when they should not be.

For this generation, mostly everything is online–plane tickets, homework, work, online shopping, paychecks, and even ordering food online. Clearly, phones are not going to go away as some fads do. But, etiquette on how and when people use their phones may need to evolve along with the uses they provide.

Maybe they’ll create an app for that!