Should Students be Allowed to Chew Gum During School?
Imagine this, you’re sitting in school and just like Christopher Columbus you discover something but its not America…
its a peice of gum stuck underneath the desk. This has probably happened to you, maybe even a couple times! We all know that kids chew gum during school, even though in some schools there are rules against it. But some scientific studies explain how chewing gum can benefit learning So, what do you think, should students be allowed to chew gum at school? If you’re not sure yet, here are some supporting facts. Statistics show that kids who chew gum during tests do 26% to 36% better. That could be the difference between getting a C or getting an A on a test. Gum helps kids focused and stay on task.
It also gets rid of nervous energy. Similar to someone tapping a pencil or a foot, which can be more distracting. In 2013, a study by the British Journal of Psychology found thatparticipants who chewed gum had better concentration during a 30 minute audio task. They also had faster reaction times and better results than the group who wasn’t chewing any gum. They don’t exactly know why chewing gum improves attention, but have hypothesized it may increase heart rate and blood flow . “This would result in more oxygen and glucose being delivered to the brain,”said Dr.
Andrew Johnson a psychology professor at Bournemouth University.”It’s also possible that the motion of chewing helped to maintain attention because participants were moving a little, rather than sitting stationary.”Other studies have also proven that chewing gum is associated with reduced stress, enhanced mood, greater alertness and improved test performance. In a survey answered by students and a couple administrators at Whitcomb Middle School, said that 86% agreed that teens shouldbe allowed to chew gum during school. 71% said that they find it helps them focus while working. Finally, 100% of them said that they don’t find people chewing gumdistracting as long as they’re not smacking their jaw or blowing bubbles.
Someone’s argument might be (like mentioned earlier) that gum is left under desks and on the floor. Well the reason= kids put gum under desks is to hide it, but if students were allowed to chew gum they wouldn’t have the fear of being caught and trying to hide it. Plus gum is nice to have after lunch because some can help clean teeth, and it also gets rid of bad breath! Hopefully you learned something that you weren’t aware of before.So spread the word and we might be able to change peoples opinions on chewing gum in school.
