When writing out Christmas lists this year, thousands of kids will put laptops on their list. Majority of these kids will use their new laptop for gaming, social media and watching movies, but these are not the only ways that teens are using their laptops.

Peeking inside the classrooms at Orono High School, it is easy to spot multiple kids with new laptops and tablets. Laptops and tablets have become lighter, more portable and more efficient than ever before. They are have also become more sneakier than ever. In just one keystroke a student can minimize a page (maybe Facebook or Call of Duty) and make it look like they are taking notes.

Sophomore Katie Koehler uses her laptop daily for school. “All of my teachers let me use it,” Koehler said, “and it makes it easier for me as I don’t have to go to the lab to type papers or research.” Koehler may use her laptop for educational purposes, but that is not always the case for other students.

With the rising rate of cyber-bullying, kids can cyber-bully during school with the access of Facebook and Twitter. The school is supposed to mandate things done in school, such as bullying. But with the easy access to Facebook and twitter at school this could now pose as a huge problem with kids being cyber-bullied during school hours.

With children now getting laptops younger and younger, the lack of maturity when using laptops may also pose as a problem. “I don’t usually use my laptop while the teacher is speaking because it is pretty disrespectful,” Senior Trevor Hofkes stated. Although he sees this as disrespectful, younger students may not.

“You shouldn’t be looking at [your laptop or tablet] the whole hour, you should constantly be looking up and acknowledging the teacher to let them know you are listening,” said freshman Grace Lynch. She also added that “using your laptops for notes can be helpful, but it could also be seen as disrespectful.”

Another issue concerning laptops is their weight. Kids lug around their backpacks with multiple textbooks in them, and hauling around the additional weight of an laptop is difficult. Some students are finding a solution to this heavy load by instead of having a laptop, purchase a tablet.

“I love carrying around my iPad because it is so light! All of my books really add up and it would be so much easier to just be able to take notes and access all of my books on it,” Lynch said about her tablet.

Whether or not you want to take the risk of bringing your laptop or tablet to school is up to you, but the consensus seems to be that if students are respectful of the teacher and courteous about their use, laptops and tablets can be a beneficial addition to the learning environment.

Jack Ellis is a Staff Reporter for The Spartan Speaks