Smartphone use and academic performance: A literature review

Amez, Simon; Baert, Stijn

doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101618

Cited by 135 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Issues related to sedentariness, such as poor diet and less exercise, combined with higher frequency of accessing devices and content contribute to the development of physical and mental health problems [ 172 , 173 ]. Distraction and procrastination have been associated with reduced academic performance [ 174 , 175 ]. Rumination and expectancies for distress reduction have also been found to be positively related to the more problematic smartphone users [ 176 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Challenges and Online Harms from Social Media Use on a Severity Continuum: A Qualitative Psychological Stakeholder Perspective

Throuvala

Griffiths

Rennoldson

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Evidence suggests that problematic use of gaming, the internet, and social media among adolescents is on the rise, affecting multiple psycho-emotional domains. However, research providing a comprehensive and triangulated stakeholder perspective of perceived harms is lacking. How are adolescent online harms experienced and conceptualized by students, parents, and teachers? The present study comprised part of a qualitative needs assessment investigation with the use of focus groups and individual interviews among key stakeholder groups assessing perceived impacts with a focus on the negative consequences and perceived harms. The study’s sample consisted of students (N = 42, Mage = 13.5, SD = 2.3), parents (N = 9, Mage = 37, SD = 5.6) and teachers (N = 9, Mage = 34, SD = 4.9) from the UK. Data were analysed with thematic analysis. Findings focused primarily on social media use impacts and indicated that processes underlying impacts experienced by adolescents may be conceptualized on a severity continuum. Stakeholder consensus on perceptions of challenges and perceived harms formed the second theme, with impacts further analysed as relating to time displacement, peer judgement, sensory overload and context of the adolescent with functional (performance, task switching, use of multiple devices), cognitive (loss or deterioration of attentional focus, attention deficit), and emotional consequences (stress, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive/checking behaviours). A third theme formed was individual vulnerabilities predisposing poor mental health outcomes. The final theme related to impacts dependent on context and meaning attached. Findings suggest a consideration of a spectrum approach encompassing a broader range of potential psychological challenges and perceived harms beyond safety concerns and addiction in understanding problematic adolescent online experiences. Understanding perceived harms can aid the objective setting of interventions and consideration of mental health literacy in school curricula.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Challenges and Online Harms from Social Media Use on a Severity Continuum: A Qualitative Psychological Stakeholder Perspective

Throuvala

Griffiths

Rennoldson

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Smartphones are ubiquitous digital devices that offer multiple communication affordances to half of the world's population (15), and may interfere with how attentional resources are allocated, constituting an emerging area of research (16)(17)(18)(19). Increasing evidence suggests that smartphone use triggers frequent interruptions and breaks from main tasks, further interfering with cognitive processes and ability (20)(21)(22)(23)(24), cognitive functioning (25)(26)(27)(28), and associated with distraction and compromised performance (26)(27)(28) resulting in sub-optimal learning among young people (29,30). Disruption from smartphone use is even more prominent within classroom environments (31)(32)(33), hindering academic achievement due to interference with primary tasks (12,34) and in less engaging academic contexts, prompting lower motivational levels and comprehension (12,35,36), task performance (37), and chronic media multitasking (12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Dimensions of Smartphone Distraction: Development, Validation, Measurement Invariance, and Latent Mean Differences of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS)

et al. 2021

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Background: Distraction is a functional emotion regulation strategy utilized to relieve emotional distress. Within the attention economy perspective, distraction is increasingly associated with digital technology use, performance impairments and interference with higher-order cognitive processes. Research on smartphone distraction and its association with problematic smartphone use is still scarce and there is no available psychometric assessment tool to assess this cognitive and emotive process parsimoniously.Method: The present study reports the development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity, gender invariance, and latent mean differences. The study was conducted in a sample of British university students (N = 1,001; M = 21.10 years, SD = 2.77).Results: The 16-item SDS was best conceptualized in a four-factor model solution comprising attention impulsiveness, online vigilance, emotion regulation, and multitasking. Construct validity was established using relevant psychosocial and mental health measures, with SDS scores being moderately associated with deficient self-regulation and problematic social media use. Gender measurement invariance was achieved at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, and latent mean differences indicated that females had significantly higher means than males across all four SDS latent factors.Discussion: The SDS presents with several strengths, including its theoretical grounding, relatively short length, and sound psychometric properties. The SDS enables the assessment of distraction, which appears to be one of the pathways to problematic smartphone use facilitating overuse and overreliance on smartphones for emotion regulation processes. The assessment of distraction in relation to problematic use in vulnerable populations may facilitate interventions that could encourage metacognition and benefit these groups by allowing sustained productivity in an increasingly disrupted work and social environment.

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“…Finally, Chen and Ji () reported that university students in Taiwan who used their personal electronic device(s) more for non‐educational pursuits, had a lower first‐year GPA. We refer to Amez and Baert () for a thorough review of this literature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: Correlation or Causal Relationship?

Baert¹,

Vujić²,

Amez³

et al. 2019

Kyklos

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SUMMARY After a decade of correlational research, this study attempts to measure the causal impact of (general) smartphone use on educational performance. To this end, we merge survey data on general smartphone use, exogenous predictors of this use, and other drivers of academic success with the exam scores of first‐year students at two Belgian universities. The resulting data are analysed with instrumental variable estimation techniques. A one‐standard‐deviation increase in daily smartphone use yields a decrease in average exam scores of about one point (out of 20). When relying on ordinary least squares estimations, the magnitude of this effect is substantially underestimated. The negative association between smartphone use and exam results is more outspoken for students (i) with highly educated fathers, (ii) with divorced parents and (iii) who are in good health. Policy‐makers should at least invest in information and awareness campaigns of teachers and parents to highlight this trade‐off between smartphone use and academic performance.

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Smartphone use and academic performance: A literature review

Cited by 135 publications

References 49 publications

Perceived Challenges and Online Harms from Social Media Use on a Severity Continuum: A Qualitative Psychological Stakeholder Perspective

Perceived Challenges and Online Harms from Social Media Use on a Severity Continuum: A Qualitative Psychological Stakeholder Perspective

Exploring the Dimensions of Smartphone Distraction: Development, Validation, Measurement Invariance, and Latent Mean Differences of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS)

Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: Correlation or Causal Relationship?

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