The Impact of the Smartphone on Student Study Habits

Jollie Simpul and Oktavian Mantiri

Faculty of Education and Psychology, Asia-Pacific International University, Muak Lek, Thailand

Abstract: The immature knowledge possessed by students about what smartphones can offer to
them might lead them to an unknown world. This study confirmed Goswami and Singh’s findings
(2016) that teenagers who excessively use their cell phone are more prone to experience disrupted
sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue. Students believed that excessive usage of smartphones could
damage their thinking ability and decreased thinking ability tended reduce motivation to study.
Students who used more than two hours a day on cellphones tended to surf the internet for
entertainment or gaming. Excessive surfing and gaming among the students might lead them to
have fewer associations with other students. It also lead to a reduction of study time and interest in
learning became low. For some, the smartphone can be used to boost their study habits. They can
surf to the internet for information. This is particularly the case for students staying at the
dormitories. Regulations there control the usage of cellphones while at home most students were
freer to use them.
Keywords: Smartphone usage, stress, fatigue, study habit decline, gaming

Background

In modern days technology products impact our life. Community without technology
products might experience a miserable life without them. Their use makes tasks easier, shorter
and much economical. In the USA, men spend $908 annually on consumer electronics; women
spend $558 [1]. People are spending a lot of money for electronics devices to make things hands
on. Some people view technology as a replacement for the expenditure of human energy and the
use of the mind. It was found that using the graphing calculator helped students maintain
productive affective pathways for problem solving [2]. There are many capabilities that
technology had done for the community. It seems that the growth of technology is much faster
than the growth of our knowledge about it. Some parents have fewer ideas of how far the
technology can affect their children’s development because most of new-tech products are being
promoted for their advantages only. Does technology gives only good effect or does it produce
more bad effects than good ones? The My Essay Point website revealed to us that there are more
bad impacts than the positive impacts of technology on children [3].
Television companies have to compete with the other electronic devices companies or else
their products might get obsolete. Laptop or computers are in as much demand as cellphones.
Smartphones are in much greater demand compare to ordinary cellphones. Smartphones have
their place in every person’s hand for those who can afford it. Is this telling us that people are
trying to put everything their palms? Carrying all their needs just inside their purse or pocket?
The first item student’s want to own as their personal property is the smartphone. How can
they own them? Will their parents buy for them or do they have some saving? What is the main
reason for them to own a smartphone rather than owning an ordinary cellphone? Does the student
know the effect of the smartphones on their study habits? Hopefully, we may get some answers
from this study.

Introduction
The increase in technology has brought us to the ‘digital era’. In 2000, there are 400
million people who have access to the internet, but at the end of 2014 there are nearly 3 billion
users, and most of the users were in developing countries [4]. The presence of the television,
computer, cellphone, I-pad, I-pod, and other devices at home adds more ingredients to the lives of
young people. This research reflects my personal concern about the impact of smartphones on
student’s study habit from the students’ perspective in a small area of Tamparuli, Malaysia. The
main concern arose from the observation that many students treated smartphones more as an
entertainment tool rather than for information and communication functions.
Many students are demanding to own a smartphone rather than an ordinary cellphone.
Anyway, what exactly is a smartphone? According to the Google search engine, a ‘smartphone is
a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touch
screen interface, Internet access, and an operating system capable of running downloaded apps’
[6]. Students may use their personal smartphone privately and more conveniently in isolated
spaces with a high-speed internet connection.
Are these attractive devices available for students, leading them to lose focus on their
study: failing to finish assignments and be unprepared to take tests and examinations, sleeping
during classes and having less social contact with other students? Do these symptoms come from
the misuse of the smartphone or the impact of excessive using of the devices that make their study
habit become the victim? This research is designed to reveal the truth: the impact of owning high-
tech devices, such as smartphones, among the students on their study habits.

Methodology
Participants
This research took place at Sabah Adventist Secondary School in June 2017. Owning
smartphones was very rampant among the students. There were 290 students enrolled in the
school ranging from Form One to Form Five. Boys represented 59% of the school population.
The school had dormitories (boys and girls) for the students but only 40.6% of the student
population were staying there. The school implements non-cellphone regulations during school
hours. However, the school allows the student to use their cellphone during weekends; at other
times, their cellphones are kept with their respective deans. For academic purposes, the school
allows students to use their smartphones after school hours for a certain period of time only. Sixty
nine of the students took part in this survey.

2
Material
A questionnaire (23 questions) was distributed among the students who participated in the
survey. The questionnaire was designed to determine the relation between smartphones and
students’ study habits. In additional, the questionnaire also tried to find out other factors related to
smartphone usage that the questionnaire missed by providing space for the students to write their
opinion about the relationship between smartphones usage and their study habits.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of this research study is illustrated in Figure 1. It shows how the
sections of the research study are related to each other and gives an overview of the conceptual model
used. The usage of the smartphone has impacts on study habits. Our investigation aimed to suggest how
the usage of smartphone can improve study habits.

Positive
Impacts

Smartphone Impact of Suggestion Study Habit

Usage Improved
Study Habit

Negative
Impact

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of Smartphone Usage on Study habit. (Own Source)

Literature Review
There are a lot of studies being held and published online. Switzer and Csapo mentioning
in their study that very few students purchased devices such as cellphone because they are
required equipment for school or work, indicating they purchased these devices primarily for
personal use [5]. They have a lot of additional facilities added especially for smartphone that had
a high capacity of storing data and apps. The same study also mentioned that students were
motivated to purchase a smartphone primarily because of convenience [5]. However, the trend of
owing smartphones among the students in our school seemingly went beyond convenience needs.
Are they having it because their friend have one? Or are the entertainments they have access to
more attractive?
The good part of the smartphones, aside from communication use, is that the children can
search for more information about their studies. The My Essay Point Journal revealed that
children can access the web and get the detailed knowledge about any topic and the education

3
games help them to perform well in academics. Playing video games using gadgets gives
inspiration to children to compete in the real world [3].
However, addiction is the main problem of the students when it comes to using
smartphones. They are taking too much time on it for entertainment and for hanging out with
friends. A document released by My Essay Point mentioned that ‘when students are addicted in
using their smartphone, problems raise such as health problem (back pain, weak eyesight and
ulcers), poor academic performance, lack of time to talk with family members, character
development is based on internet content, and writing skills are low [3]. What make them
addicted? Why do some students have this problem while other do not? Does this have something
to do with parents? These questions might be answered in this short survey.

Results
Descriptive Analysis
The following were the vital statistics of those who responded to the survey.
Gender
Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
Male 40 58.8 58.8 58.8
Valid Female 28 41.2 41.2 100.0
Total 68 100.0 100.0

Age Range
Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
11-14 21 30.9 30.9 30.9
Valid 15-17 47 69.1 69.1 100.0
Total 68 100.0 100.0

Residence
Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
own house 26 38.2 38.2 38.2
relative 5 7.4 7.4 45.6
Valid house
dormitory 37 54.4 54.4 100.0
Total 68 100.0 100.0

Smartphone

4
 Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
yes 64 94.1 94.1 94.1
Valid no 4 5.9 5.9 100.0
Total 68 100.0 100.0

Apps
Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
whatsapp 32 47.1 47.1 47.1
facebook 3 4.4 4.4 51.5
games 4 5.9 5.9 57.4
Valid video 11 16.2 16.2 73.5
surfing 18 26.5 26.5 100.0
internet
Total 68 100.0 100.0

Duration of smartphone use daily

Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
1-2 hours 36 52.9 52.9 52.9
3-4 hours 24 35.3 35.3 88.2
Valid more than 5 8 11.8 11.8 100.0
hours
Total 68 100.0 100.0

When was the most likable time to use the smartphone

Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative
Percent Percent
with family 10 14.7 14.7 14.7
With 8 11.8 11.8 26.5
Valid friends
Alone 50 73.5 73.5 100.0
Total 68 100.0 100.0

5
 There were 68 students who responded to the survey: 40 boys and 28 girls. Their ages
were between 11 to 17 years old. Thirteen of them were staying with their parents or relatives and
the rest are staying at the dormitories. Interestingly, four of them did not own a smartphone or
cellphone but indicated that they were using their parent’s phones. More than half of them
(51.5%) liked to connect themselves with friends through whatsapps or facebook when connected
with the internet. The rest of them responded that they would rather play games, watch videos or
surf the internet. It is shocking to know that eight of the respondents stayed with their smartphone
more than five hours a day. They might skip meals, exercise, revision, or endure a sleepless night.
A large proportion (73.5%) found it convenient to be alone when using their smartphones.

Correlation Analysis
There were twenty one variables: Eight from demographic Variables and thirteen from
Question Variables. The correlation between column variables and row variables are represented
by numbers between -1 to 1. By using Spearman’s rho correlation, a significant correlation
between two variables could be seen by the value calculated for the 2-tailed statistical significance
correlation. Variables were correlated if the value was less than 0.05.
The following are some significant and interesting findings from the survey.
1. Age
The age of the respondents were highly positively correlated with the privacy of using their
smartphone. It showed that older students wanted to use their smartphone privately without
the close supervision of their parents.
2. Gender
Boys admitted that when using their smartphones their grades were lowering and their focus
on study was blurred. The relation between the gender and grade was highly correlated
statistically.
3. Residence
Students were either staying with their parents or in their dormitories. Students who were
staying in the dorm concluded that owning smartphone could affect their study time. For those
who were staying with their parents or guardian admitted that they were freely using their
smartphones compared to those who were staying in the dormitories, which had strict rules
concerning cellphones.
4. Time consumed using Smartphones daily
Students who hooked-up with their smartphones less than 2 hours daily felt that excessive use
of smartphones could lower their thinking ability. In contrast, those who hooked-up with their
smartphone more than 5 hours daily asserted that excessive use of smartphone had no
connection with thinking ability. The correlation between number of hours spent with
smartphones and thinking ability was very high significant (p=0.001).
Students who spent more time with smartphones daily maintained that smartphones can be
used for study purposes. Those who spent less time with their smartphones daily thought that
smartphone do more harm than good. The relation between the number of hours with
smartphones and the number of hours with the book was negatively correlated (p=0.006).
5. Friend influences
Students admitted that they learned internet surfing from the influence of friends.
6. Smartphone usage

6
 The study shows that students do not like to be controlled by their parents when they are using
their smartphones. They like to use their smartphone without anyone seeing them.

Conclusion

The findings of this short survey gives us insights into the impact of the smartphone on
study habits of students. The immature knowledge of the student about what smartphone can offer
them might lead them to another unknown world. This study also confirmed the article written by
Goswami and Singh that teenagers who excessively use their cell phone are more prone to
experience disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue [7]. The content of the smartphone,
when connected to the internet, delivers for both good and evil. Students believed that excessive
usage of smartphones can damage their thinking ability and decrease their thinking ability hence
leaving them unmotivated to study. Students who used more than two hours a day on the
cellphone tended to surf the internet for entertainment or gaming. Excessive surfing and gaming
among the students might lead them to have less association with other students. Their time to
study is being cut off and interest of learning becomes low at school. For some, they believed that
smartphones could be used to boost their study habits. They can surf the internet for information.
Students who were staying at the dormitories had more time to study compared to those staying at
their homes. Dormitory regulations controlled the usage of any cellphone among the students
while at home most students were freer to use them.

Suggestion

This study also found that students cannot be separated from their smartphone. They are
living in 21st century, in the digital era where smartphones have become part of their life. What
the student needs is guidance and monitoring from adults. We need to guide them how to use
smartphones as a tool to study and learn.
Future studies might be done to find ways how to help parents and related individuals in
devising effective ways to guide their children regarding smartphone usage. The world never
decreases in knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the smartphone never has less in functions, therefore, let us
continue to learn new things so that the devil will never deceive us. The only source of secure
knowledge and wisdom is in Him (Proverbs 1:7).

References

1. Spending on Electronics. (n.d.) retrieved from IT Facts website: www.itfacts.biz

2. Allison W. McCulloch. (2011). Affect and graphing calculator use. Journal of
Mathematical Behavior, 30(2), 166 – 179. Retrieved from the website:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732312311000162
3. Impact of technology on children. (2015). Retrieved from My Essay Point website:
http://myessaypoint.com/impact-of-technology-on-children
4. Brahima Sanou. (2014). ICT Facts and Figures. Retrieved from ITU website:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-e.pdf

7
5. Susan Switzer and Nancy Csapo. (2005). Survey of student usage of digital technology:
Teaching implications. Journal of Issues in Information Systems, 6(1), 127 – 133. Retrieved
from website: http://iacis.org/iis/2005/Switzer_Csapo.pdf
6. English Oxford Living Dictionaries. (2017). Retrieved July 04, 2017, from
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/smartphone
7. Vandara Goswawmi and Divya Rani Singh. (2016). Impact of mobile phone addiction on
adolescent’s life. International Journal of Home Science, 2(1), 71. Retrieved August 31,
2017, from http://www.homesciencejournal.com/archives/2016/vol2issue1/PartB/2-1-
19.pdf