Have you ever done a seemingly endless amount of homework, and before you know it it’s 3 AM and you aren’t even halfway done? Albeit an extreme case, this portrays the reason that homework is so vilified in today’s society. Homework is harmful to the lives of students because it creates sleep problems and doesn’t leave much time for a job or sports.
According to the Warrior Watch article Sleepy Teens: An Epidemic, seniors get an hour and a half less sleep on a school night than on a non-school night. The article continues, saying:
“Sleep deprivation is an epidemic in high school students. Not getting enough sleep can cause mental and physical health problems. Depression, drug use, and eating disorders are just a few effects from a lack of sleep. In 2017, almost 800 lives were taken due to drowsy driving.”
These hours, along with other factors, are greatly affected by the amount of work a student has to do outside of school.
On the topic of time, students have things to do. According to one West Branch student: It’s hard to do that much homework. I have a job and need more time to sleep. I only get about five hours. This is not an isolated case, as such sleep schedules seem the norm for students. Students simply cannot fit so many things into their schedules with an added 2 hours of homework. According to IHTUSA, sports can improve a student’s health, confidence, and social skills, among other things.
“The eight hours we have in school should be enough time for the teachers to teach us.”
One might say, “isn’t homework helpful? Doesn’t practice make perfect?”. Homework can be helpful, but usually this is not the case. According to Professor Kevin C. Costley in Does Homework Really Improve Achievement?, homework just adds unneeded stress to a student’s life. Students don’t need extra work on top of eight hours of school. Fifty-eight percent of West Branch students think we should have 0-20 minutes of homework per night.
In conclusion, West Branch, and the education system as a whole, should rethink and rebuild the homework system because students just don’t have enough time for sleep, extracurricular activities, and jobs.
