Nomophobia and Its Relationship to Learning Process Among Malaysian Undergraduates in Higher Learning Institution

Abstract

Nomophobia (NMP) is not a common or a widely used term, but it does exist in the world of technology in this 21st century. The term was coined to show the fear or anxiety that mobile phone users have when being out of cellular phone contact. This term portrays negative connotation and it is always deemed as an alarming phenomenon which there is always a need to reduce NMP as it was seen detrimental to mental and physical health. The objectives of this paper are to look at the level of NMP and its relationship to learning process among Malaysians undergraduates. The study was conducted with 172 ESL undergraduates from higher learning education institutions. An adapted questionnaire that was designed and developed from a NMP questionnaire (NMP-Q) and a Mobile Learning Attitude Scale (MLAS) were used. The questionnaire investigates the severity of NMP and the frequency use of mobile phone for educational purposes among the undergraduates. The results showed NMP phenomenon is alarming, but it shows positive effects in learning process. We could change the negative connotation of NMP into positive vibes in educational context by channelling the fear and anxiety of undergraduates to a more motivating method in their learning process. Thus, mobile learning can be implemented in higher learning institutions with consideration on several aspects of NMP to achieve the bigger goals on undergraduate achievements without abandoned their mental and physical health.
 Keywords: m-learning; industrial revolution 4.0; smartphones