Imagine being in a small room with hundreds of file cabinets full of things you have to have in order to get ready for your day: Your toothbrush, your shampoo, and clothes. Now imagine only being able to access half of those items. Somehow, the file cabinets with the most necessary items are the ones that you are having trouble opening. You know exactly what you need to open these cabinets; however you yourself cannot produce this tool.
Unfortunately, this is the metaphor millions of students live every single school day, but with the help of a simple tool, those students can access the files they contain, but simply cannot reach. The “tool” is cognitive enhancements, such as Adderall and Concerta, and it's the key to the information that students already hold.
Some would argue that it gives an unfair advantage to the students who already take these medications, but denying students their rights to the fullest opportunity to succeed is simply unethical. Cognitive enhancements should be encouraged by administration, parents and doctors to students who desire to focus, learn and perform better in the classroom.
The issue for a lot of American students is the lack of ability for memory recall. The issue is not that students do not try, nor is the issue their intelligence. For the majority of students, their lack of focus is not severe enough to be considered clinical, or given a diagnosis and prescription, but they still need the extra help.
This is where almost ten percent of all college students have admitted to using non-prescribed medication such as Adderall. Students resort to purchasing drugs through fellow classmates because doctors will not prescribe them any, and the drugs are known to help students study harder, for a longer time, and more efficiently. If the medical field were more open to soliciting these medications, not only would a great majority of average students become above average, but many students would finally find themselves in a position of advantage.
Cognitive-enhancing drugs do not give students the answers, they simply help students recount the information they have already learned, therefore propelling students further into their academic success. In no way does taking these enhancements prove as “cheating”.
Just as a person with poor vision needs glasses, people who lack the ability to focus need medication.
Education should not be competitive; to claim that these pills make it “unfair” to those students who go without is simply ridiculous. The American people should value the future of its country as progressive and driven to succeed.
The problem raised by many administrators and doctors is the risk of addiction to the medications. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from 1995 to 2006, the increase of use for these medications has reached over 268%. While this figure can be disconcerting to several demographics of involved parties, it is not necessarily a problem.
Society has evolved, and test scores in America are higher than ever.
The intelligence gained from the hours of focus that students cannot produce themselves could one day produce the doctor that cures cancer, or the scientist who discovers life on another planet.
Teenagers do not know how to properly diagnose and prescribe medication for themselves. Doctor prescribing well-intentioned students cognitive enhancements would be decreasing the rate of overdose.
Overall, the success of American students would greatly benefit from the use of cognitive enhancements such as Adderoll and Concerta. The risks of addiction heighten when the situation is left to fester as is. If doctors and administrators get involved now, preventative measures can be taken in order to gain the full pedagogical advancement of the stimulus and avoid the negative side effects of the particular drugs.