Photo Credit: CAROLINA MARTINEZ
BY DANIELLE ONAFRAYCHUK
In today’s society it’s almost impossible to go somewhere without having to worry that your phone will be stolen. The worst part isn’t even that people have the audacity to steal, but instead the extent they go about to do so. It`s no longer something that rarely occurs, but something that happens daily. Although theft has been a prominent issue for decades, the new “fad” of stealing phones has gone too far.
Instead of sticking to public places such as a bus stations, malls, or downtown cities, stealing phones has also crept into school boundaries. Even worse, students aren’t just stealing from each other, but also from teachers. According to MicroTrax.com, 113 cell phones are lost or stolen every minute in the U.S. School is supposed to be a safe place, but now students are constantly paranoid, worried that their possessions might be nicked at anytime. Students shouldn`t have to worry that if they leave their bag unattended that a fellow classmate might take a phone. It’s abhorrent that teachers fear for their possessions and the culprits are their own students. Stealing is wrong and the fact that it`s now so common in schools says a lot about our generation.
Phones are quite expensive and are paid for by those who work for it. How is it even humane to willingly steal from someone who used his or her own money to purchase a phone and not have a guilty conscience? If you didn`t work for the phone, you don’t have the right to take it from someone else? According to MarketWatch.com, lost/stolen phones cost Americans $30 billion a year. People are becoming more and more selfish and greed is an obvious factor at play. If it`s not put to a stop, soon we may all have to carry our phones locked up.
Although security cameras often help track down phone thieves, many times those individuals don`t get caught and get away with the phone, selling them for profit before it can be traced. Meanwhile the victim is left empty handed with an unexpected bill of three hundred dollars for a new phone. Yes, effort is being made to put a stop to phone theft, but it may not be enough. There should be more severe punishment to send a message across to keep thieves at bay. Stealing should not be taken lightly.
As stealing becomes more and more fashionable, school becomes less of a safe place for students to bring any valuables. Taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable moment is incredibly unjust and just goes against principle.
