Essays

Mobile phones in school

In recent times mobile phones, especially smart phones have become a
valuable tool for communication, education and entertainment. Nevertheless,
they should not be allowed in schools, because children are susceptible to
misuse them. It would adversely affect their education, social development
and health, which is the prime responsibility of a school.

Mobile phones not only distract students, but also the teachers during the
class. The blaring ring tones and rippling vibrations make both learning and
teaching difficult, for the student and others in the classroom. Even when
mobile phones are in the silent mode, students are found to indulge in texting
from under the desk or behind-books. They are more interested in talking or
texting friends in another school or class, surfing the web, or playing games.
Such activities not only cause distraction but also adversely affect their
academic performance.

Use of mobile phones in school vitiates the academic environment. Rumours

travel fast because of messages going viral on the social network.There are
numerous incidents of students being bullied in the school campus, by their
colleagues or students from other schools. Such activities disturb the peace in
the campus and also threaten the students’ emotional and physical well being,
thereby affecting their learning.

Furthermore, mobile phones have become an important device for cheating

during examinations. The ingenious use of this technology has made it an
important tool for using unfair means in the examination. Arguably there are
other means of cheating. Nevertheless, banning mobile phones would be a
good deterrent to cheating.

Besides impacting the academic performance, the excessive use of mobile

phones have also been found to be hazardous for health. Research has
shown that its excessive use result in headaches, restlessness, disruptive
sleep, stress and fatigue. These pose serious danger to the health and well-
being of the students.
In addition to being a health hazard, mobiles have been known to stunt the
social development of students. Instead of playing with friends in the school
playground during the lunch recess, they prefer to play with their mobiles. The
recess which should ideally be spent in the playground to augment the
learning process, is thus wasted.

The only valid reason for students to keep mobiles in school is to be

accessible in case of an emergency. However, in an emergency situation,
mobile networks are known to crash, thereby defeating the very purpose of
keeping them. Moreover in case of an individual emergency, parents can
always access the school administration or teachers on their phones and
mobiles.

The impact of using a mobile phone in schools is devastating. It distracts

students from studies, vitiates the academic environment, hampers their
social development and adversely affects their health. Hence mobile phones
must not be allowed in schools.

Success
“Success depends on character and not on opportunity” Express your views
for or against the statement. (ICSE 1990)
“So shines a good deed in a naughty world”, said William Shakespeare,
implying that a person with a good character stands out in the bad and selfish
world. Success to such a person comes sooner than later in his chosen field
of activity, without waiting for an opportunity.

Opportunity is basically the favourable juncture of circumstances and success

is the fulfilling of a given task or goal. The favourable juncture of
circumstances comes to a person blessed with a good character. His purity of
thought and relentless effort toward his goal do not go unnoticed in the
society. Hence sooner or later opportunity knocks at his door. Thomas Edison
rightly said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in
overalls and looks like work.”

Success has different connotations for different people. For some,

accumulation of wealth could be a barometer of success, while for others it
could be the exercise of power, authority, knowledge or social status. In the
absence of character one may become successful by clutching at
opportunities using fair or foul means, but such glory is usually short lived and
transitory. We have before us the example of Hitler who was a mere soldier in
the German army. He rose to power as the Fuehrer seizing every opportunity
that came his way. However, his skewed personality brought about his
downfall and his country to ruin in the second world war. Such opportunists
may scale great heights, but their downfall is as steep as their meteoric rise.

Character helps optimise on the opportunity. It is a ladder to achieve one’s

goal in life. The pleasant and wholesome personality of such a person catches
the attention and is appreciated by others. This recognition brings with it
opportunities which he seizes with both hands. His disciplined approach to life
enables him to make the best use of it to achieve his goal. The success bears
the stamp of his character and hence is more stable and lasting.

History is replete with many illustrious men of character who became great
leaders, often changing the destiny of their nation. Mahatma Gandhi by dint of
his character Challenged the mighty British Empire. He did not have to look
for an opportunity to come his way, but opportunity was thrust on him and he
became immortal as the Father of the Nation.

Albert Einstein acknowledging the importance of character said, “Most people

say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong, it is
character.” Indeed character is the touchstone for success for you can make
hay while the sun shines, but only when there is the SUN.

Give an account of the ways in which advertising has affected modem life.
(ICSE 1997)
(Or)
Role of advertising in our lives.

“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have
for something they don’t need,” said Will Rogers. In simple terms advertising
means giving publicity to goods and services to create awareness so that
consumers finally buy the product. This is a fine art perfected over the years,
though the type and form have undergone a phenomenal change. This
transformation is reflected in the metamorphosis of advertising from word of
mouth to press, (newspapers and magazines), electronic media (radio and
TV), outdoor media and most recently the Internet. These have made it a
powerful medium for business, increasing its effectiveness and reach
manifold.

Advertising has an all pervasive impact on modem life. The finest of the
products would not find a market and would rot in the godown, unless it is
properly advertised. By promoting the sale of goods and services it
contributes to the economic growth of the country. It helps in the field of health
care and education by creating awareness for the consumer. The government
also uses it for promoting health and social welfare schemes like pulse polio,
AIDS and family welfare.

It is an effective tool for improving the quality and raising the standard of living
of the people. Consumers are informed of the important benefits of a product
or service, the use of which makes their life easy and comfortable. It helps a
consumer choose items ranging from soaps, detergents to consumer durables
like cars and refrigerators by comparing product features of different brands. It
also helps manufacturers target their products for niche consumers through
specific advertisement campaign using the appropriate media.

Advertising has changed the style and way of doing business, making it more
scientific and productive. It involves the detailed study of consumer behaviour
so that consumers can be induced to buy the product to fulfil a need hitherto
unknown. It has opened up new avenues and removed all forms of
geographic, language and social barriers. So significant is its contribution that
large business houses earmark a major portion of their annual expenditure for
advertising.

Besides its role in promoting business and economy, it is now being

increasingly used in politics.We find most political parties and even
candidates, carrying out well-researched advertising campaigns; to boost or
acquire an image, which is crucial for victory.

Besides its importance in promoting business, it has also profoundly affected

the education, health and entertainment sectors. One is now subjected to
bombardment of advertisements through different media. The advertisements-
range from different educational avenues for students, nutrition for children,
fashionable clothes or different movies in town. Its significance can be gauzed
from the fact that most business houses earmark a major portion of their
annual expenditure to spend only on advertising.
However, advertising, if used with ulterior motives has a corrupting influence
on the young generation. Lately some companies are resorting to ad
campaigns that promote an alien lifestyle and are at variance with our culture.
Others resort to crafty advertisements that aid in deception, promoting
unworthy products by manipulating the psychological aspirations of the
consumer.

There is no denying the profound effect of advertising on modem life. Despite

being irritating at times life without it would be inconceivable. Besides
contributing to economic growth, it plays an important role in promoting health
care, entertainment and education. Advertising in modem times is the lifeline
of business, for in the words of Henry Ford, “Stopping advertisement to save
money is like stopping your watch to save time.”

‘The wealthy are not happy’. Give your views for or

against the statement. (ICSE 1993)

“If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free, if our wealth commands
us, we are poor indeed,” said Edmund Burke. True wealth is not about money,
but about relationships, good health, and continued self-improvement. It is
happiness that comes in utilising the wealth for a good cause. However,
wealthy people in the process of accumulating and protecting wealth lead a
tense and unhappy life.

Happiness is a state of the mind. As we all know money cannot buy

happiness. Therefore one should be content with what one has and strive for
self improvement. Unfortunately in the materialistic age one is engaged in the
pursuit of worldly luxuries and comforts that only money can buy. In this
process other important aspects of life like family relationships, social and
even health are compromised.

Ignoring health in the pursuit of wealth is the prime cause of unhappiness for
most wealthy people. A healthy man is usually happier for ‘Health is wealth’.
Such a person lives a happier and contended life, than a man blessed with
only wealth, Since wealth cannot guarantee good health.

The importance of earning wealth cannot be disputed, for it is difficult to

visualise living a decent life without money. However attaching too much
importance to money is a great folly. There are indeed many things that
money cannot buy, like the love and affection of parents, spouse, friends and
relatives.

Wealth is also the root cause of unhappiness in the world. Most people are
unhappy in its pursuit. While the poor toil day and night to earn money for a
decent life, the wealthy spend sleepless nights worrying about safeguarding it.
They live in constant fear of thieves, criminals and antisocial elements.
Besides these, issues like taxation and legal matters are a constant source of
stress and tension.

The threat of deprivation of wealth is not only from others, but also from the
family. The innumerable cases of family disputes being fought in the legal
courts are a proof of this. Quite often they lead to crimes like murder and
abduction. The souring of family relationship and business disputes cause
anxiety and tension, leading to hypertension, brain tumour, haemorrhage and
other deadly diseases.

The key to happiness is therefore being happy with what one has. Just as one
should eat to live and not live to eat, similarly accumulating wealth should not
be the sole purpose of life. One should use wealth for a good cause and for
the welfare of the society. Great souls like Mother Teresa and Mahatma
Gandhi were not wealthy during their lifetime, but their contribution in the field
of social welfare would continue to inspire generations.

Benjamin Franklin rightly said, “Wealth is not his, that has it, but his that
enjoys it.” To be happy one must have enough wealth, to lead a respectable
life and use it to acquire rich experiences, maintain relationships and use it for
a good social cause. Mindless pursuit of wealth is the root cause of
unhappiness.