On Monday, Sept. 28, the entire student body at BPHS received their very own Chromebooks. Some may look at this as a good thing, but I find it to be unnecessary and a burden.

For instance, what is the point of having a computer lab if everyone has their own laptops? Why go to the Writing Center to do your paper, if you can write it in your classroom on the Chromebook?

Also, what is the point of taking notes on your Chromebook, when you can take them by hand? Sure, this is the 21st century, and we need to move into the technology age, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose sight of paper/pencil assignments.

In a recent study by Pam Mueller of Princeton University, and Daniel Oppenheimer of UCLA, found that students who write their notes by hand, learn more than those who take their notes on their laptops.

In addition, the entire staff at BPHS can see what you’re doing on your Chromebooks any time they want during the school day. So if you’re being watched all of the time, how do you expect to become a responsible adult when you have the Hawk’s eye on you the entire time?

And not to mention, if you forget to charge your Chromebook, or forget it at home, some of the teachers and staff expect you to download the apps on your phone. But if you can’t access them because you’re out of data, or because your WiFi is down, how do you expect to get your work done?

The teachers expect you to bring your laptops to school everyday, fully charged. But if you forget to plug it in before you go to bed, and you don’t have a full charge for the next day, you’re kind of out of luck, because they won’t allow you to charge it in class due to the lack of available outlets, and the danger of having too many loose chords.

My Chromebook has blocked every music app and video link that I need for class. Everyone else can access it, but I can’t. So, I did as I was instructed to do the first day I received mine, and took it to the computer paraprofessionals. Well, they told me that they were still in training and that they couldn’t help me.

Furthermore, you’re expected to take care of your Chromebook, but if you fall and it slips out of your hands or your book bag somehow, it’s your fault. You have to pay for it. Even if you put it in your book bag and your water leaks on it, it’s your fault. You have to get insurance for it, and you’re expected to pay a lot of money to get it fixed.

Now let’s focus on the pros of Chromebooks. They’re very useful when it comes to having all of your work on one device, and they can be helpful when taking notes.

But they’re also pretty distracting in class. People tend to play a lot of games on them during these periods, I know I do.

They can also be detrimental to our social lives, because people use them at lunch too. They’re like the babies you get in health class, a good learning tool, but a pain in the butt.

And that’s my opinion on Chromebooks.