Cheating has evolved. From “accidentally” dropping your pencil to simply Googling the answers, the ways of cheating have definitely changed. However, a new question rises from this: is cheating getting worse?

   Usually, kids who receive bad grades are stereotyped as being more likely to cheat. However, that generalization could not be less true. Contrary to popular belief, overachievers and honor’s kids are more likely to cheat on a test in order to get the grade that they want.  The reason for this is partly because of the pressure put on students by teachers, educators, and parents to maintain high grades. Also, especially if the teacher is strict, the stress and anxiety levels rise to an all time high, promoting even more academic dishonesty. Additionally, the general pressure of school should be taken into account.

   Smart kids who cheat are more likely to use their brains for new innovative ideas for doing so. They may write the answers on the wrapper of their water bottle or even sneak headphones up their sleeves to listen to an audio recording feeding the answers.

   Technology plays a key role in cheating. With phones, most kids can look up answers and use them during the test. Additionally, the information comes at a quicker rate. All a student has to do is Google the answer, write it down, and put it away.  Sometimes this technique backfires, often when the student accidentally plays a noise, but more often than not, this technique works.  

   In reaction, some teachers do take counteractive measures, such as asking students to place their backpacks away from them in a designated area and clearing desks. However, even with all of these measures to prevent academic dishonesty, there still seems to be some fishy business in the classroom, rendering efforts by the teachers useless.

   As stated in A Cheating Crisis in America’s Schools, “ a survey of more than 4,000 U.S. and Canadian schools revealed half of all faculty members admitted ignoring cheating more than once.” If teachers look the other way when they see kids cheat, it encourages them to cheat more.

   So, in conclusion, as the golden age of technology begins its reign, so does cheating in the classroom. Technology has only aided cheating, and the pressure on students is not helping. Therefore, cheating is only getting worse.