Since 2012, iPads have been a fixture in classrooms at Archbishop Riordan High School. The small, book shaped, handheld device acts as one of the school’s main studying tool for students— acting as the books themselves.

The common applications used are Schoology, iBook, Notability, PowerSchool, email, and numerous other resources to help for easier access for notes and a lighter carry in backpacks. It’s a switch that only helps students in the long run, and that’s the most important part of bringing the iPads into play.

The bottom line is that iPads have more to offer than any textbook. It’s simply the times we are in and there’s very little that can be done to return to our old school ways. The internet is a helpful feedback reference if used appropriately, and students could have more flexibility with saving paper, which means more stuff turned in digitally.

Recently, there has been a lot of speculation and suspicion about iPads being used for the wrong reasons, causing some teachers to take acceptable precaution. In their defense, it’s troubling that students are one, fast click away from a possible non-educational and unrelated app. There’s no denying that there’s a lingering problem, but there is a solution on how to limit these troubling habits while still using the advanced tools for school.

Surprisingly, the anger of iPad usage is caused by the large amount of phones that are being used at school. Although it’s banned, students still find the cracks to surf social media and play games during class on their personal cell phones and much of the blame is going straight to the iPads. There are more accessible possibilities on phones than iPads, as there are less apps blocked. It’s not the reason why iPads are being abused, but it’s fair to assume that we are missing the real problem.