According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 70% of teens are not getting enough sleep. But is it really the school’s fault? If so, is it the schools fault that kids like social media? That the video game/app designers are making games more and more addicting? No, it isn’t. Schools shouldn’t have to alter their schedules to start later just because teens are too “busy” to sleep at night.
 

To change the start time, would be to send the wrong message for a couple of reasons.

Reason number one. “Being on time, managing busy a schedule, and getting enough sleep are important skills teens will need when they enter the workforce.” In the article titled, “Should school start later?” Justin O’ Neil was just trying to acknowledge the other side of the argument. But, O’ Neil ended up adding a good point as to why it SHOULDN’T start later. When students start work as adults, they will be completely messed up for early jobs. Students won’t be prepared for jobs that start earlier than 8. If you think your job starts too early, then you either A: Suck it up, or B: Go to your boss, ask about it, and get fired. They will laugh in your face as they fire you. Schools that start from 7 to7:30 have the right idea.

Can we just address this now please? Reason number two. “I refer to parents who will not set limits of any meaningful sort on their children’s use of electronics because, get this, it will upset them. And we must not, in America, have upset children.” Note sarcasm. John Rosemond, the writer of the article “Late night, not start time, problem for teens”, has a valid point here, which is quite saddening. Parents are afraid to upset their kids. Yes, you read right parents are afraid to upset their children. Teens already believe they have the world in their palm to control and manipulate. Do you really think giving them what they want in this argument is the way to go? If you really think about, if you do, you’re like putty in their hands. Another pawn in their version of the game of  life. Cohoes shouldn’t have to be like that. Cohoes is a city that cares. Would it be very caring if we let kids grow up like spoiled brats?

Reason number three. “This is also an example of how institutions ignore the Law of Unintended Consequences when it comes to setting policy.” As said by John Rosemond in “Late night, not start time, problem for teens.” Ahh, the Law of Unintended Consequences. In which actions of certain people, in this case the Board of Education, but generally the government, always has an effect that is unanticipated. Okay, so schools start later. The late bell rings at 9:20, but students are still tired. Is there a reason? You bet! Since school starts an hour later, kids use that as an excuse to stay up a whole hour later. The day will be completely the same except instead of 6/7 starting at 11:30 it starts at 12:30. Instead of 8/9 starting at 12:17 it starts at 1:17. It all just sets life back an hour. Especially sports games. Do you think the Lansing Burgh team wants to skip family dinner just because the Cohoes team apparently need more sleep?
And finally, reason number four. “Transportation is another obstacle. School bus schedules are arranged to meet the needs of not just one school, but all of the schools in the district-elementary, middle, and high schools.” Transportation is a HUGE thing, especially here in the capital district. Kids take CDTA up to the middle school and high school from Van Schaik Island, considering right in-between the island and the schools is the almighty 787. That is deadly when trying to be crossed by a student. Just imagine the midget 6th graders crossing it. And for the kids who get rides to school or car pool. Some parents drive their kids (and possibly their friends), because they’ve got to leave then anyways for work. So if it was a later time that they have to be dropped off some kids won’t be getting a ride anymore.

Sleep deprivation in teens lead to increased chance of depression, anxiety, illness, injury, and obesity. Ok, here’s the thing. TEENS AREN’T SLEEP DEPRIVED!!!! To physically be known as sleep deprived the sleep has to be taken away from you. The Board of Education isn’t taking the sleep from the teens. Teens are physically taking it from themselves. Bringing up this topic just give teens someone else to blame besides themselves for this. And quite frankly, it’s really sad. If teens went to bed at 8pm and woke up at 6, yes everybody, 6am, they could wake up with 10 hours of sleep, with the average need of a teen being 9 and a half hours. ALSO, people claim with the use of electronics, teen’s circadian rhythm, the natural sense of time, is being screwed up. This ends up being the “culprit” of why teens don’t go to sleep early. Well here’s a solution, put the electronics away an hour before you go to bed. That way it gives your body time to relax and get the circadian rhythm right again.

Are teens really sleep deprived? And if so, is it truly ONE HUNDRED percent the schools fault? Or are the teens just too careless to see that they’re the true criminals?