mobile phone in classroom essay

The Use of Mobile Phones in the Classroom Can Help Students Learn Better Essay

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Introduction

It is undeniable that today’s world revolves around technology due to its growth over the past decades. Mobile phones as a part of technology have become increasingly common in modern society. Today, it is impossible to imagine an adolescent or an adult without a cell phone. Students have started to use mobile phones in classrooms, which has raised many concerns among teachers, schools’ authorities, and parents. While there are several disadvantages of the utilization of technology during classes, the advantages of it prevail.

The benefits of technology for students are evident. First, mobile phones can substitute textbooks and notebooks, which may have a positive impact on individuals’ health as they do not have to carry heavy bags to schools. Students can download learning materials in electronic form and use them during classes. Moreover, they can find the information faster and save time to perform other important tasks. Second, with the help of mobile phones, students can have access to their textbooks, lectures, and notes anywhere and at any time. They can read on the bus on their way to school, which may increase the time they dedicate to the analysis of the learning materials and help them to reflect on the topics of discussions.

Furthermore, students can use mobile phones as dictionaries in language classes. It may save their time and ensure that the long learning process does not discourage them. Also, they can download applications that are designed to assist in acquiring new language skills.

It is necessary to mention that students can use mobile phones as organizational or planning tools. They can plan their time based on the deadlines, arrange their activities and track their grades and performance in class. While many students use notebooks for such purposes, the utilization of mobile phones allows for having all the information in one place and ensuring that no important data is lost. Moreover, teachers can be involved in the organizational process too by sharing the necessary information about due dates and requirements via applications. It may improve teacher-student relationships and increase individuals’ performance in class.

There are several drawbacks associated with the use of mobile phones in the classroom. The primary one is that they can distract students from learning, as they may prefer to play games or use social networks. Moreover, individuals can become aggressive if the teachers or school authorities try to forbid the use of technology in class. To eliminate the possible negative outcomes, it is necessary for students to learn how to avoid distraction while working with mobile phones.

For example, they can delete unnecessary applications or restrict their use during classes. Apart from that, students can improve their performance by studying the factors that can cause distraction and avoiding them. Teachers and schools’ authorities should also consider investigating the benefits of the technology to prevent the establishment of unnecessary policies related to its use in the classroom.

The use of mobile phones in the classroom can improve student’s performance and help them to have better learning outcomes. It can save their time, prevent them from carrying heavy bags with textbooks and notebooks and increase the accessibility of course materials. The possible drawbacks of the use of technology in class are individuals’ distraction and aggression. However, students can eliminate the disadvantages of the utilization of mobile phones by avoiding the factors that can cause negative learning outcomes.

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IvyPanda. (2021, July 18). The Use of Mobile Phones in the Classroom Can Help Students Learn Better. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-use-of-mobile-phones-in-the-classroom-can-help-students-learn-better/

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IvyPanda . 2021. "The Use of Mobile Phones in the Classroom Can Help Students Learn Better." July 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-use-of-mobile-phones-in-the-classroom-can-help-students-learn-better/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Use of Mobile Phones in the Classroom Can Help Students Learn Better." July 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-use-of-mobile-phones-in-the-classroom-can-help-students-learn-better/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Use of Mobile Phones in the Classroom Can Help Students Learn Better." July 18, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-use-of-mobile-phones-in-the-classroom-can-help-students-learn-better/.

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Bans may help protect classroom focus, but districts need to stay mindful of students’ sense of connection, experts say

Students around the world are being separated from their phones.

In 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 77 percent of U.S. schools had moved to prohibit cellphones for nonacademic purposes. In September 2018, French lawmakers outlawed cellphone use for schoolchildren under the age of 15. In China, phones were banned country-wide for schoolchildren last year.

Supporters of these initiatives have cited links between smartphone use and bullying and social isolation and the need to keep students focused on schoolwork.

77% Of U.S. schools moved to ban cellphones for nonacademic purposes as of 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics

But some Harvard experts say instructors and administrators should consider learning how to teach with tech instead of against it, in part because so many students are still coping with academic and social disruptions caused by the pandemic. At home, many young people were free to choose how and when to use their phones during learning hours. Now, they face a school environment seeking to take away their main source of connection.

“Returning back to in-person, I think it was hard to break the habit,” said Victor Pereira, a lecturer on education and co-chair of the Teaching and Teaching Leadership Program at the Graduate School of Education.

Through their students, he and others with experience both in the classroom and in clinical settings have seen interactions with technology blossom into important social connections that defy a one-size-fits-all mindset. “Schools have been coming back, trying to figure out, how do we readjust our expectations?” Pereira added.

It’s a hard question, especially in the face of research suggesting that the mere presence of a smartphone can undercut learning .

Michael Rich , an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says that phones and school don’t mix: Students can’t meaningfully absorb information while also texting, scrolling, or watching YouTube videos.

“The human brain is incapable of thinking more than one thing at a time,” he said. “And so what we think of as multitasking is actually rapid-switch-tasking. And the problem with that is that switch-tasking may cover a lot of ground in terms of different subjects, but it doesn’t go deeply into any of them.”

Pereira’s approach is to step back — and to ask whether a student who can’t resist the phone is a signal that the teacher needs to work harder on making a connection. “Two things I try to share with my new teachers are, one, why is that student on the phone? What’s triggering getting on your cell phone versus jumping into our class discussion, or whatever it may be? And then that leads to the second part, which is essentially classroom management.

“Design better learning activities, design learning activities where you consider how all of your students might want to engage and what their interests are,” he said. He added that allowing phones to be accessible can enrich lessons and provide opportunities to use technology for school-related purposes.

Mesfin Awoke Bekalu, a research scientist in the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Chan School, argues that more flexible classroom policies can create opportunities for teaching tech-literacy and self-regulation.

“There is a huge, growing body of literature showing that social media platforms are particularly helpful for people who need resources or who need support of some kind, beyond their proximate environment,” he said. A study he co-authored by Rachel McCloud and Vish Viswanath for the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness shows that this is especially true for marginalized groups such as students of color and LGBTQ students. But the findings do not support a free-rein policy, Bekalu stressed.

In the end, Rich, who noted the particular challenges faced by his patients with attention-deficit disorders and other neurological conditions, favors a classroom-by-classroom strategy. “It can be managed in a very local way,” he said, adding: “It’s important for parents, teachers, and the kids to remember what they are doing at any point in time and focus on that. It’s really only in mono-tasking that we do very well at things.”

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Cellphones in Schools: Addiction, Distraction, or Teaching Tool?

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“Cellphones are here to stay. More and more work is being done on these communication devices, as they morph into BlackBerries, hand-held calculators, phone banks, digital cameras, radios, and even televisions.”

So warned education professor Bruce S. Cooper and former superintendent John W. Lee as they weighed the place of cellphones in schools —back in 2006.

That was the year that an unevenly enforced 1988 ban on mobile devices in New York City schools sprang back into the public consciousness with a new crackdown . That policy was later dropped in 2015, but it seems everything old is new again. The current New York governor, Kathy Hochul, is now publicly considering a similar statewide ban, as are California Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers in more than half a dozen other states. Several states, including Floridia, Indiana, and Ohio, already passed statewide prohibitions on school cellphone use in the past several years.

Cellphone technology has certainly evolved as predicted over the last few decades (well, mostly; R.I.P. to the now discontinued BlackBerry), but what about the debate over their use in schools?

The popularity of phone bans has yo-yoed in the years since, from a high of 91 percent of public schools prohibiting nonacademic use of cellphones in the 2009-10 school year (the first year the National Center for Education Statistics began tracking such data). That number dipped as low as 66 percent in 2015-16 but has since rebounded to 76 percent in 2021-22 , the latest year data are available.

Back in 2006, one fault line was already emerging between educators concerned about cellphone misuse in class and parents concerned about not being able to communicate with their children.

“Given the potential for abuse, a ban sounds logical,” wrote Cooper and Lee in their 2006 essay. “Yet, in today’s society, cellphones also serve as modern-day umbilical cords, able to link children with their increasingly busy (and worried) parents and guardians.”

If that sounds familiar, it might be because you read reporting just last month from EdWeek Staff Writer Elizabeth Heubeck documenting “ When Schools Want to Ban Cellphones—But Parents Stand in the Way .”

Of course, the debate over cellphones in school has never been as clear-cut as educators vs. parents. Dig deeper into Edweek’s Opinion advice and you’ll find countless educators taking a pro-cellphone line—at least when used responsibly.

Middle school administrator Matt Levinson saw a fork in the road ahead of teachers in a 2009 Opinion essay : “They can continue to fight a losing battle and draw harsh lines in the sand, confiscating cellphones or banning their use during school hours. Or, they can seize the teachable moment, and shift their approaches to embrace technology and engage students with these devices.”

The following year, middle school teacher Paul Barnwell reached a similar conclusion , advising readers that not only can cellphones be put to productive use in the classroom, but that failing to do so may actually be doing students a disservice. How else, he asked, can schools prepare students for the “real world”? (And if that sounds familiar, it might be because you’ve been reading modern arguments over the place of AI in schools.)

But for teachers in schools without a clear cellphone policy, finding those academic applications for smartphones amid the TikTok distractions is no easy task. You could try five tips from high school teacher Curtis White on “ Harnessing the Power of the Cellphone in Class .” Or perhaps check out education consultant Matthew Lynch’s three strict rules for classroom cellphone use .

More recently, a slew of educators shared their own strategies for curbing cellphone misuse, in response to Opinion blogger Larry Ferlazzo’s call for teacher contributions:

• Classroom Cellphone Use Is Fraught. It Doesn’t Have to Be
• Should Cellphones Be Permitted in Classrooms? Teachers Offer These Strategies
• Let’s Not Oversimplify Students’ Cellphone Use

In the past few years, several education researchers have also shared best practices on cellphone use in psychologist Angela Duckworth’s Ask a Psychologist opinion blog. Drawing on his bumpy experiences trying to set boundaries on his own 11-year-old daughter’s smartphone use, education researcher Tom Harrison offered “ 4 Strategies to Help Students Manage Cellphone Use in School .”

In another post, Duckworth reminded readers of some basic self-control tricks to help kids resist the siren song of screen time .

Psychology professor Jean M. Twenge, who dug through data from 11,000 teens to conclude that “not all screen time is created equal,” laid down some do’s and don’ts for cellphone access in the blog.

But not everyone is optimistic on finding a middle ground between endless distraction and productive learning tool. In a widely read 2016 Opinion essay , teacher Steve Gardiner had another word for his students’ relationships to their phones: addiction.

“Addiction is a strong word, but it accurately describes the dysfunctional behavior exhibited by teenagers in my high school English classroom when I ask them to put away their cellphones,” he wrote. Gardiner wasn’t calling for a blanket ban on phones—indeed, he identified some legitimate academic uses of the technology—but rather sounding the alarm on the “obsessive and dependent behavior” undergirding student cellphone misuse.

“We have incentives to promote attendance and graduation,” he concluded, “but many teenagers need help, because their bodies are in the classroom, but their minds are inside their cellphones.”

For some teachers, that cellphone dependency has gotten bad enough to sour them on the profession entirely. That’s the story of high school biology teacher Mitchell Rutherford, who decided to quit teaching in part because of the exhaustion he felt from competing with cellphones for students’ attention.

“I wasn’t emotionally available for myself or my wife,” he told Education Week earlier this month , “because I was pouring my heart into my students that I saw struggling with socializing, anxiety, and focus, which in my opinion is largely caused and certainly exacerbated by intentionally designed addictive cellphone apps.”

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The impact of smartphone use on learning effectiveness: A case study of primary school students

• Published: 11 November 2022
• Volume 28 , pages 6287–6320, ( 2023 )

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• Jen Chun Wang 1 ,
• Chia-Yen Hsieh   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5476-2674 2 &
• Shih-Hao Kung 1  

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This study investigated the effects of smartphone use on the perceived academic performance of elementary school students. Following the derivation of four hypotheses from the literature, descriptive analysis, t testing, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and one-way multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) were performed to characterize the relationship between smartphone behavior and academic performance with regard to learning effectiveness. All coefficients were positive and significant, supporting all four hypotheses. We also used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance. The MANOVA results revealed that the students in the high smartphone use group academically outperformed those in the low smartphone use group. The results indicate that smartphone use constitutes a potential inequality in learning opportunities among elementary school students. Finally, in a discussion of whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance, it is proved that smartphone behavior is the mediating variable impacting academic performance. Fewer smartphone access opportunities may adversely affect learning effectiveness and academic performance. Elementary school teachers must be aware of this issue, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The findings serve as a reference for policymakers and educators on how smartphone use in learning activities affects academic performance.

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1 Introduction

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has stimulated interest in educational reforms for the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into instruction. Smartphones have become immensely popular ICT devices. In 2019, approximately 96.8% of the global population had access to mobile devices with the coverage rate reaching 100% in various developed countries (Sarker et al., 2019 ). Given their versatile functions, smartphones have been rapidly integrated into communication and learning, among other domains, and have become an inseparable part of daily life for many. Smartphones are perceived as convenient, easy-to-use tools that promote interaction and multitasking and facilitate both formal and informal learning (Looi et al., 2016 ; Yi et al., 2016 ). Studies have investigated the impacts of smartphones in education. For example, Anshari et al. ( 2017 ) asserted that the advantages of smartphones in educational contexts include rich content transferability and the facilitation of knowledge sharing and dynamic learning. Modern students expect to experience multiple interactive channels in their studies. These authors also suggested incorporating smartphones into the learning process as a means of addressing inappropriate use of smartphones in class (Anshari et al., 2017 ). For young children, there are differences in demand and attributes and some need for control depending upon the daily smartphone usage of the children (Cho & Lee, 2017 ). To avoid negative impacts, including interference with the learning process, teachers should establish appropriate rules and regulations. In a study by Bluestein and Kim ( 2017 ) on the use of technology in the classroom they examined three themes: acceptance of tablet technology, learning excitement and engagement, and the effects of teacher preparedness and technological proficiency. They suggested that teachers be trained in application selection and appropriate in-class device usage. Cheng et al. ( 2016 ) found that smartphone use facilitated English learning in university students. Some studies have provided empirical evidence of the positive effects of smartphone use, whereas others have questioned the integration of smartphone use into the academic environment. For example, Hawi and Samaha ( 2016 ) investigated whether high academic performance was possible for students at high risk of smartphone addiction. They provided strong evidence of the adverse effects of smartphone addiction on academic performance. Lee et al. ( 2015 ) found a negative correlation between smartphone addiction and learning in university students. There has been a lot of research on the effectiveness of online teaching, but the results are not consistent. Therefore, this study aims to further explore the effects of independent variables on smartphone use behavior and academic performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many countries to close schools and suspend in-person classes, enforcing the transition to online learning. Carrillo and Flores ( 2020 ) suggested that because of widespread school closures, teachers must learn to manage the online learning environment. Online courses have distinct impacts on students and their families, requiring adequate technological literacy and the formulation of new teaching or learning strategies (Sepulveda-Escobar & Morrison, 2020 ). Since 2020, numerous studies have been conducted on parents’ views regarding the relationship of online learning, using smartphones, computers, and other mobile devices, with learning effectiveness. Widely inconsistent findings have been reported. For instance, in a study by Hadad et al. ( 2020 ), two thirds of parents were opposed to the use of smartphones in school, with more than half expressing active opposition ( n  = 220). By contrast, parents in a study by Garbe et al. ( 2020 ) agreed to the school closure policy and allowed their children to use smartphones to attend online school. Given the differences in the results, further scholarly discourse on smartphone use in online learning is essential.

Questions remain on whether embracing smartphones in learning systems facilitates or undermines learning (i.e., through distraction). Only a few studies have been conducted on the impacts of smartphone use on academic performance in elementary school students (mostly investigating college or high school students). Thus, we investigated the effects of elementary school students’ smartphone use on their academic performance.

2 Literature review

Mobile technologies have driven a paradigm shift in learning; learning activities can now be performed anytime, anywhere, as long as the opportunity to obtain information is available (Martin & Ertzberger, 2013 ).

Kim et al. ( 2014 ) focused on identifying factors that influence smartphone adoption or use. Grant and Hsu ( 2014 ) centered their investigation on user behavior, examining the role of smartphones as learning devices and social interaction tools. Although the contribution of smartphones to learning is evident, few studies have focused on the connection between smartphones and learning, especially in elementary school students. The relationship between factors related to learning with smartphones among this student population is examined in the following sections.

2.1 Behavioral intentions of elementary school students toward smartphone use

Children experience rapid growth and development during elementary school and cultivate various aspects of the human experience, including social skills formed through positive peer interactions. All these experiences exert a substantial impact on the establishment of self-esteem and a positive view of self. Furthermore, students tend to maintain social relationships by interacting with others through various synchronous or asynchronous technologies, including smartphone use (Guo et al., 2011 ). Moreover, students favor communication through instant messaging, in which responses are delivered rapidly. However, for this type of interaction, students must acquire knowledge and develop skills related to smartphones or related technologies which has an impact on social relationships (Kang & Jung, 2014 ; Park & Lee, 2012 ).

Karikoski and Soikkeli ( 2013 ) averred that smartphone use promotes human-to-human interaction both through verbal conversation and through the transmission of textual and graphic information, and cn stimulate the creation and reinforcement of social networks. Park and Lee ( 2012 ) examined the relationship between smartphone use and motivation, social relationships, and mental health. The found smartphone use to be positively correlated with social intimacy. Regarding evidence supporting smartphone use in learning, Firmansyah et al. ( 2020 ) concluded that smartphones significantly benefit student-centered learning, and they can be used in various disciplines and at all stages of education. They also noted the existence of a myriad smartphone applications to fulfill various learning needs. Clayton and Murphy ( 2016 ) suggested that smartphones be used as a mainstay in classroom teaching, and that rather than allowing them to distract from learning, educators should help their students to understand how smartphones can aid learning and facilitate civic participation. In other words, when used properly, smartphones have some features that can lead to better educational performance. For example, their mobility can allow students access to the same (internet-based) services as computers, anytime, anywhere (Lepp et al., 2014 ). Easy accessibility to these functionalities offers students the chance to continuously search for study-related information. Thus, smartphones can provide a multi-media platform to facilitate learning which cannot be replaced by simply reading a textbook (Zhang et al., 2014 ). Furthermore, social networking sites and communication applications may also contribute to the sharing of relevant information. Faster communication between students and between students and faculty may also contribute to more efficient studying and collaboration (Chen et al., 2015 ). College students are more likely to have access to smartphones than elementary school students. The surge in smartphone ownership among college students has spurred interest in studying the impact of smartphone use on all aspects of their lives, especially academic performance. For example, Junco and Cotton ( 2012 ) found that spending a fair amount of time on smartphones while studying had a negative affect on the university student's Grade Point Average (GPA). In addition, multiple studies have found that mobile phone use is inversely related to academic performance (Judd, 2014 ; Karpinski et al., 2013 ). Most research on smartphone use and academic performance has focused on college students. There have few studies focused on elementary school students. Vanderloo ( 2014 ) argued that the excessive use of smartphones may cause numerous problems for the growth and development of children, including increased sedentary time and reduced physical activity. Furthermore, according to Sarwar and Soomro ( 2013 ), rapid and easy access to information and its transmission may hinder concentration and discourage critical thinking and is therefore not conducive to children’s cognitive development.

To sum up, the evidence on the use of smartphones by elementary school students is conflicting. Some studies have demonstrated that smartphone use can help elementary school students build social relationships and maintain their mental health, and have presented findings supporting elementary students’ use of smartphones in their studies. Others have opposed smartphone use in this student population, contending that it can impede growth and development. To take steps towards resolving this conflict, we investigated smartphone use among elementary school students.

In a study conducted in South Korea, Kim ( 2017 ) reported that 50% of their questionnaire respondents reported using smartphones for the first time between grades 4 and 6. Overall, 61.3% of adolescents reported that they had first used smartphones when they were in elementary school. Wang et al. ( 2017 ) obtained similar results in an investigation conducted in Taiwan. However, elementary school students are less likely to have access to smartphones than college students. Some elementary schools in Taiwan prohibit their students from using smartphones in the classroom (although they can use them after school). On the basis of these findings, the present study focused on fifth and sixth graders.

Jeong et al. ( 2016 ), based on a sample of 944 respondents recruited from 20 elementary schools, found that people who use smartphones for accessing Social Network Services (SNS), playing games, and for entertainment were more likely to be addicted to smartphones. Park ( 2020 ) found that games were the most commonly used type of mobile application among participants, comprised of 595 elementary school students. Greater smartphone dependence was associated with greater use of educational applications, videos, and television programs (Park, 2020 ). Three studies in Taiwan showed the same results, that elementary school students in Taiwan enjoy playing games on smartphones (Wang & Cheng, 2019 ; Wang et al., 2017 ). Based on the above, it is reasonable to infer that if elementary school students spend more time playing games on their smartphones, their academic performance will decline. However, several studies have found that using smartphones to help with learning can effectively improve academic performance. In this study we make effort to determine what the key influential factors that affect students' academic performance are.

Kim ( 2017 ) reported that, in Korea, smartphones are used most frequentlyfrom 9 pm to 12 am, which closely overlaps the corresponding period in Taiwan, from 8 to 11 pm In this study, we not only asked students how they obtained their smartphones, but when they most frequently used their smartphones, and who they contacted most frequently on their smartphones were, among other questions. There were a total of eight questions addressing smartphone behavior. Recent research on smartphones and academic performance draws on self-reported survey data on hours and/or minutes of daily use (e.g. Chen et al., 2015 ; Heo & Lee, 2021 ; Lepp et al., 2014 ; Troll et al., 2021 ). Therefore, this study also uses self-reporting to investigate how much time students spend using smartphones.

Various studies have indicated that parental attitudes affect elementary school students’ behavioral intentions toward smartphone use (Chen et al., 2020 ; Daems et al., 2019 ). Bae ( 2015 ) determined that a democratic parenting style (characterized by warmth, supervision, and rational explanation) was related to a lower likelihood of smartphone addiction in children. Park ( 2020 ) suggested that parents should closely monitor their children’s smartphone use patterns and provide consistent discipline to ensure appropriate smartphone use. In a study conducted in Taiwan, Chang et al. ( 2019 ) indicated that restrictive parental mediation reduced the risk of smartphone addiction among children. In essence, parental attitudes critically influence the behavioral intention of elementary school students toward smartphone use. The effect of parental control on smartphone use is also investigated in this study.

Another important question related to student smartphone use is self-control. Jeong et al. ( 2016 ) found that those who have lower self-control and greater stress were more likely to be addicted to smartphones. Self-control is here defined as the ability to control oneself in the absence of any external force, trying to observe appropriate behavior without seeking immediate gratification and thinking about the future (Lee et al., 2015 ). Those with greater self-control focus on long-term results when making decisions. People are able to control their behavior through the conscious revision of automatic actions which is an important factor in retaining self-control in the mobile and on-line environments. Self-control plays an important role in smartphone addiction and the prevention thereof. Previous studies have revealed that the lower one’s self-control, the higher the degree of smartphone dependency (Jeong et al., 2016 ; Lee et al., 2013 ). In other words, those with higher levels of self-control are likely to have lower levels of smartphone addiction. Clearly, self-control is an important factor affecting smartphone usage behavior.

Reviewing the literature related to self-control, we start with self-determination theory (SDT). The SDT (Deci & Ryan, 2008 ) theory of human motivation distinguishes between autonomous and controlled types of behavior. Ryan and Deci ( 2000 ) suggested that some users engage in smartphone communications in response to perceived social pressures, meaning their behavior is externally motivated. However, they may also be  intrinsically  motivated in the sense that they voluntarily use their smartphones because they feel that mobile communication meets their needs (Reinecke et al., 2017 ). The most autonomous form of motivation is referred to as intrinsic motivation. Being intrinsically motivated means engaging in an activity for its own sake, because it appears interesting and enjoyable (Ryan & Deci, 2000 ). Acting due to social pressure represents an externally regulated behavior, which SDT classifies as the most controlled form of motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000 ). Individuals engage in such behavior not for the sake of the behavior itself, but to achieve a separable outcome, for example, to avoid punishment or to be accepted and liked by others (Ryan & Deci, 2006 ). SDT presumes that controlled and autonomous motivations are not complementary, but “work against each other” (Deci et al., 1999 , p. 628). According to the theory, external rewards alter the perceived cause of action: Individuals no longer voluntarily engage in an activity because it meets their needs, but because they feel controlled (Deci et al., 1999 ). For media users, the temptation to communicate through the smartphone is often irresistible (Meier, 2017 ). Researchers who have examined the reasons why users have difficulty controlling media use have focused on their desire to experience need gratification, which produces pleasurable experiences. The assumption here is that users often subconsciously prefer short-term pleasure gains from media use to the pursuit of long-term goals (Du et al., 2018 ). Accordingly, self-control is very important. Self-control here refers to the motivation and ability to resist temptations (Hofmann et al., 2009 ). Dispositional self-control is a key moderator of yielding to temptation (Hofmann et al., 2009 ). Ryan and Deci ( 2006 ) suggested that people sometimes perform externally controlled behaviors unconsciously, that is, without applying self-control.

Sklar et al. ( 2017 ) described two types of self-control processes: proactive and reactive. They suggested that deficiencies in the resources needed to inhibit temptation impulses lead to failure of self-control. Even when impossible to avoid a temptation entirely, self-control can still be made easier if one avoids attending to the tempting stimulus. For example, young children instructed to actively avoid paying attention to a gift and other attention-drawing temptations are better able to resist the temptation than children who are just asked to focus on their task. Therefore, this study more closely investigates students' self-control abilities in relation to smartphone use asking the questions, ‘How did you obtain your smartphone?’ (to investigate proactivity), and ‘How much time do you spend on your smartphone in a day?’ (to investigate the effects of self-control).

Thus, the following hypotheses are advanced.

Hypothesis 1: Smartphone behavior varies with parental control.

Hypothesis 2: Smartphone behavior varies based on students' self-control.

2.2 Parental control, students' self-control and their effects on learning effectiveness and academic performance

Based on Hypothesis 1 and 2, we believe that we need to focus on two factors, parental control and student self-control and their impact on academic achievement. In East Asia, Confucianism is one of the most prevalent and influential cultural values which affect parent–child relations and parenting practice (Lee et al., 2016 ). In Taiwan, Confucianism shapes another feature of parenting practice: the strong emphasis on academic achievement. The parents’ zeal for their children’s education is characteristic of Taiwan, even in comparison to academic emphasis in other East Asian countries. Hau and Ho ( 2010 ) noted that, in Eastern Asian (Chinese) cultures, academic achievement does not depend on the students’ interests. Chinese students typically do not regard intelligence as fixed, but trainable through learning, which enables them to take a persistent rather than a helpless approach to schoolwork, and subsequently perform well. In Chinese culture, academic achievement has been traditionally regarded as the passport to social success and reputation, and a way to enhance the family's social status (Hau & Ho, 2010 ). Therefore, parents dedicate a large part of their family resources to their children's education, a practice that is still prevalent in Taiwan today (Hsieh, 2020 ). Parental control aimed at better academic achievement is exerted within the behavioral and psychological domains. For instance, Taiwan parents tightly schedule and control their children’s time, planning private tutoring after school and on weekends. Parental control thus refers to “parental intrusiveness, pressure, or domination, with the inverse being parental support of autonomy” (Grolnick & Pomerantz, 2009 ). There are two types of parental control: behavioral and psychological. Behavioral control, which includes parental regulation and monitoring over what children do (Steinberg et al., 1992 ), predict positive psychosocial outcomes for children. Outcomes include low externalizing problems, high academic achievement (Stice & Barrera, 1995 ), and low depression. In contrast, psychological control, which is exerted over the children’s psychological world, is known to be problematic (Stolz et al., 2005 ). Psychological control involves strategies such as guilt induction and love withdrawal (Steinberg et al., 1992 ) and is related with disregard for children’s emotional autonomy and needs (Steinberg et al., 1992 ). Therefore, it is very important to discuss the type of parental control.

Troll et al. ( 2021 ) suggested that it is not the objective amount of smartphone use but the effective handling of smartphones that helps students with higher trait self-control to fare better academically. Heo and Lee ( 2021 ) discussed the mediating effect of self-control. They found that self-control was partially mediated by those who were not at risk for smartphone addiction. That is to say, smartphone addiction could be managed by strengthening self-control to promote healthy use. In an earlier study Hsieh and Lin ( 2021 ), we collected 41 international journal papers involving 136,491students across 15 countries, for meta-analysis. We found that the average and majority of the correlations were both negative. The short conclusion here was that smartphone addiction /reliance may have had a negative impact on learning performance. Clearly, it is very important to investigate the effect of self-control on learning effectiveness with regard to academic performance.

2.3 Smartphone use and its effects on learning effectiveness and academic performance

The impact of new technologies on learning or academic performance has been investigated in the literature. Kates et al. ( 2018 ) conducted a meta-analysis of 39 studies published over a 10-year period (2007–2018) to examine potential relationships between smartphone use and academic achievement. The effect of smartphone use on learning outcomes can be summarized as follows: r  =  − 0.16 with a 95% confidence interval of − 0.20 to − 0.13. In other words, smartphone use and academic achievement were negatively correlated. Amez and Beart ( 2020 ) systematically reviewed the literature on smartphone use and academic performance, observing the predominance of empirical findings supporting a negative correlation. However, they advised caution in interpreting this result because this negative correlation was less often observed in studies analyzing data collected through paper-and-pencil questionnaires than in studies on data collected through online surveys. Furthermore, this correlation was less often noted in studies in which the analyses were based on self-reported grade point averages than in studies in which actual grades were used. Salvation ( 2017 ) revealed that the type of smartphone applications and the method of use determined students’ level of knowledge and overall grades. However, this impact was mediated by the amount of time spent using such applications; that is, when more time is spent on educational smartphone applications, the likelihood of enhancement in knowledge and academic performance is higher. This is because smartphones in this context are used as tools to obtain the information necessary for assignments and tests or examinations. Lin et al. ( 2021 ) provided robust evidence that smartphones can promote improvements in academic performance if used appropriately.

In summary, the findings of empirical investigations into the effects of smartphone use have been inconsistent—positive, negative, or none. Thus, we explore the correlation between elementary school students’ smartphone use and learning effectiveness with regard to academic performance through the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 3: Smartphone use is associated with learning effectiveness with regard to academic performance.

Hypothesis 4: Differences in smartphone use correspond to differences in learning effectiveness with regard to academic performance.

Hypotheses 1 to 4 are aimed at understanding the mediating effect of smartphone behavior; see Fig.  1 . It is assumed that smartphone behavior is the mediating variable, parental control and self-control are independent variables, and academic performance is the dependent variable. We want to understand the mediation effect of this model.

Model 1: Model to test the impact of parental control and students’ self-control on academic performance

Thus, the following hypotheses are presented.

Hypothesis 5: Smartphone behaviors are the mediating variable to impact the academic performance.

2.4 Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on smartphone use for online learning

According to 2020 statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, full or partial school closures have affected approximately 800 million learners worldwide, more than half of the global student population. Schools worldwide have been closed for 14 to 22 weeks on average, equivalent to two thirds of an academic year (UNESCO, 2021 ). Because of the pandemic, instructors have been compelled to transition to online teaching (Carrillo & Flores, 2020 ). According to Tang et al. ( 2020 ), online learning is among the most effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the effectiveness of online learning for young children is limited by their parents’ technological literacy in terms of their ability to navigate learning platforms and use the relevant resources. Parents’ time availability constitutes another constraint (Dong et al., 2020 ). Furthermore, a fast and stable Internet connection, as well as access to devices such as desktops, laptops, or tablet computers, definitively affects equity in online education. For example, in 2018, 14% of households in the United States lacked Internet access (Morgan, 2020 ). In addition, the availability and stability of network connections cannot be guaranteed in relatively remote areas, including some parts of Australia (Park et al., 2021 ). In Japan, more than 50% of 3-year-old children and 68% of 6-year-old children used the Internet in their studies, but only 21% of households in Thailand have computer equipment (Park et al., 2021 ).

In short, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in educational practices. With advances in Internet technology and computer hardware, online education has become the norm amid. However, the process and effectiveness of learning in this context is affected by multiple factors. Aside from the parents’ financial ability, knowledge of educational concepts, and technological literacy, the availability of computer equipment and Internet connectivity also exert impacts. This is especially true for elementary school students, who rely on their parents in online learning more than do middle or high school students, because of their short attention spans and undeveloped computer skills. Therefore, this study focuses on the use of smartphones by elementary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on learning effectiveness.

3.1 Participants

Participants were recruited through stratified random sampling. They comprised 499 Taiwanese elementary school students (in grades 5 and 6) who had used smartphones for at least 12 months. Specifically, the students advanced to grades 5 or 6 at the beginning of the 2018–2019 school year. Boys and girls accounted for 47.7% and 52.3% ( n  = 238 and 261, respectively) of the sample.

3.2 Data collection and measurement

In 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect relevant data. Of the 620 questionnaires distributed, 575 (92.7%) completed questionnaires were returned. After 64 participants were excluded because they had not used their smartphones continually over the past 12 months and 14 participants were excluded for providing invalid responses, 499 individuals remained. The questionnaire was developed by one of the authors on the basis of a literature review. The questionnaire content can be categorized as follows: (1) students’ demographic characteristics, (2) smartphone use, (3) smartphone behavior, and (4) learning effectiveness. The questionnaire was modified according to evaluation feedback provided by six experts. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the structural validity of the questionnaire. Factor analysis was performed using principal component analysis and oblique rotation. From the exploratory factor analysis, 25 items (15 and 10 items on smartphone behavior and academic performance as constructs, respectively) were extracted and confirmed. According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, smartphone behavior can be classified into three dimensions: interpersonal communication, leisure and entertainment, and searching for information. Interpersonal communication is defined as when students use smartphones to communicate with classmates or friends, such as in response to questions like ‘I often use my smartphone to call or text my friends’. Leisure and entertainment mean that students spend a lot of their time using their smartphones for leisure and entertainment, e.g. ‘I often use my smartphone to listen to music’ or ‘I often play media games with my smartphone’. Searching for information means that students spend a lot of their time using their smartphones to search for information that will help them learn, such as in response to questions like this ‘I often use my smartphone to search for information online, such as looking up words in a dictionary’ or ‘I will use my smartphone to read e-books and newspapers online’.

Academic performance can be classified into three dimensions: learning activities, learning applications, and learning attitudes. Learning activities are when students use their smartphones to help them with learning, such as in response to a question like ‘I often use some online resources from my smartphone to help with my coursework’. Learning applications are defined as when students apply smartphone software to help them with their learning activities, e.g. ‘With a smartphone, I am more accustomed to using multimedia software’. Learning attitudes define the students’ attitudes toward using the smartphone, with questions like ‘Since I have had a smartphone, I often find class boring; using a smartphone is more fun’ (This is a reverse coded item). The factor analysis results are shown in the appendix (Appendix Tables 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 ). It can be seen that the KMO value is higher than 0.75, and the Bartlett’s test is also significant. The total variance explained for smartphone behavior is 53.47% and for academic performance it is 59.81%. These results demonstrate the validity of the research tool.

In this study, students were defined as "proactive" if they had asked their parents to buy a smartphone for their own use and "reactive" if their parents gave them a smartphone unsolicited (i.e. they had not asked for it). According to Heo and Lee ( 2021 ), students who proactively asked their parents to buy them a smartphone gave the assurance that they could control themselves and not become addicted, but if they had been given a smartphone (without having to ask for it), they did not need to offer their parents any such guarantees. They defined user addiction (meaning low self-control) as more than four hours of smartphone use per day (Peng et al., 2022 ).

A cross-tabulation of self-control results is presented in Table 2 , with the columns representing “proactive” and “reactive”, and the rows showing “high self-control” and “low self-control”. There are four variables in this cross-tabulation, “Proactive high self-control” (students promised parents they would not become smartphone addicts and were successful), “Proactive low self-control” (assured their parents they would not become smartphone addicts, but were unsuccessful), “Reactive high self-control”, and “Reactive low self-control”.

Regarding internal consistency among the constructs, the Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.850 to 0.884. According to the guidelines established by George and Mallery ( 2010 ), these values were acceptable because they exceeded 0.7. The overall Cronbach's α for the constructs was 0.922. The Cronbach's α value of the smartphone behavior construct was 0.850, whereas that of the academic performance construct was 0.884.

3.3 Data analysis

The participants’ demographic characteristics and smartphone use (expressed as frequencies and percentages) were subjected to a descriptive analysis. To examine hypotheses 1 and 2, an independent samples t test (for gender and grade) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed to test the differences in smartphone use and learning effectiveness with respect to academic performance among elementary school students under various background variables. To test hypothesis 3, Pearson’s correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the association between smartphone behavior and academic performance. To test hypothesis 4, one-way multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) was employed to examine differences in smartphone behavior and its impacts on learning effectiveness. To test Hypothesis 5, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance.

4.1 Descriptive analysis

The descriptive analysis (Table 1 ) revealed that the parents of 71.1% of the participants ( n  = 499) conditionally controlled their smartphone use. Moreover, 42.5% of the participants noted that they started using smartphones in grade 3 or 4. Notably, 43.3% reported that they used their parents’ old smartphones; in other words, almost half of the students used secondhand smartphones. Overall, 79% of the participants indicated that they most frequently used their smartphones after school. Regarding smartphone use on weekends, 54.1% and 44.1% used their smartphones during the daytime and nighttime, respectively. Family members and classmates (45.1% and 43.3%, respectively) were the people that the participants communicated with the most on their smartphones. Regarding bringing their smartphones to school, 53.1% of the participants indicated that they were most concerned about losing their phones. As for smartphone use duration, 28.3% of the participants indicated that they used their smartphones for less than 1 h a day, whereas 24.4% reported using them for 1 to 2 h a day.

4.2 Smartphone behavior varies with parental control and based on students' self-control

We used the question ‘How did you obtain your smartphone?’ (to investigate proactivity), and ‘How much time do you spend on your smartphone in a day?’ (to investigate the effects of students' self-control). According to the Hsieh and Lin ( 2021 ), and Peng et al. ( 2022 ), addition is defined more than 4 h a day are defined as smartphone addiction (meaning that students have low self-control).

Table 2 gives the cross-tabulation results for self-control ability. Students who asked their parents to buy a smartphone, but use it for less than 4 h a day are defined as having ‘Proactive high self-control’; students using a smartphone for more than 4 h a day are defined as having ‘Proactive low self-control’. Students whose parents gave them a smartphone but use them for less than 4 h a day are defined as having ‘Reactive high self-control’; students given smart phones and using them for more than 4 h a day are defined as having ‘Reactive low self-control’; others, we define as having moderate levels of self-control.

Tables 3 – 5 present the results of the t test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on differences in the smartphone behaviors based on parental control and students' self-control. As mentioned, smartphone behavior can be classified into three dimensions: interpersonal communication, leisure and entertainment, and information searches. Table 3 lists the significant independent variables in the first dimension of smartphone behavior based on parental control and students' self-control. Among the students using their smartphones for the purpose of communication, the proportion of parents enforcing no control over smartphone use was significantly higher than the proportions of parents enforcing strict or conditional control ( F  = 11.828, p  < 0.001). This indicates that the lack of parental control over smartphone use leads to the participants spending more time using their smartphones for interpersonal communication.

For the independent variable of self-control, regardless of whether students had proactive high self-control, proactive low self-control or reactive low self-control, significantly higher levels of interpersonal communication than reactive high self-control were reported ( F  = 18.88, p  < 0.001). This means that students effectively able to control themselves, who had not asked their parents to buy them smartphones, spent less time using their smartphones for interpersonal communication. However, students with high self-control but who had asked their parents to buy them smartphones, would spend more time on interpersonal communication (meaning that while they may not spend a lot of time on their smartphones each day, the time spent on interpersonal communication is no different than for the other groups). Those without effective self-control, regardless of whether they had actively asked their parents to buy them a smartphone or not, would spend more time using their smartphones for interpersonal communication.

Table 4 displays the independent variables (parental control and students' self-control) significant in the dimension of leisure and entertainment. Among the students using their smartphones for this purpose, the proportion of parents enforcing no control over smartphone use was significantly higher than the proportions of parents enforcing strict or conditional control ( F  = 8.539, p  < 0.001). This indicates that the lack of parental control over smartphone use leads to the participants spending more time using their smartphones for leisure and entertainment.

For the independent variable of self-control, students with proactive low self-control and reactive low self-control reported significantly higher use of smartphones for leisure and entertainment than did students with proactive high self-control and reactive high self-control ( F  = 8.77, p  < 0.001). This means that students who cannot control themselves, whether proactive or passive in terms of asking their parents to buy them a smartphone, will spend more time using their smartphones for leisure and entertainment.

Table 5 presents the significant independent variables in the dimension of information searching. Significant differences were observed only for gender, with a significantly higher proportion of girls using their smartphones to search for information ( t  =  − 3.979, p  < 0.001). Parental control and students' self-control had no significance in the dimension of information searching. This means that the parents' attitudes towards control did not affect the students' use of smartphones for information searches. This is conceivable, as Asian parents generally discourage their children from using their smartphones for non-study related activities (such as entertainment or making friends), but not for learning-related activities. It is also worth noting that student self-control was not significant in relation to searching for information. This means that it makes no difference whether or not students have self-control in their search for learning-related information.

Four notable results are presented as follows.

First, a significantly higher proportion of girls used their smartphones to search for information. Second, if smartphone use was not subject to parental control, the participants spent more time using their smartphones for interpersonal communication and for leisure and entertainment rather than for information searches. This means that if parents make the effort to control their children's smartphone use, this will reduce their children's use of smartphones for interpersonal communication and entertainment. Third, student self-control affects smartphone use behavior for interpersonal communication and entertainment (but not searching for information). This does not mean that they spend more time on their smartphones in their daily lives, it means that they spend the most time interacting with people while using their smartphones (For example, they may only spend 2–3 h a day using their smartphone. During those 2–3 h, they spend more than 90% of their time interacting with people and only 10% doing other things), which is the fourth result.

These results support hypotheses 1 and 2.

4.3 Pearson’s correlation analysis of smartphone behavior and academic performance

Table 6 presents the results of Pearson’s correlation analysis of smartphone behavior and academic performance. Except for information searches and learning attitudes, all variables exhibited significant and positively correlations. In short, there was a positive correlation between smartphone behavior and academic performance. Thus, hypothesis 3 is supported.

4.4 Analysis of differences in the academic performance of students with different smartphone behaviors

Differences in smartphone behavior and its impacts on learning effectiveness with regard to academic performance were examined through. In step 1, cluster analysis was conducted to convert continuous variables into discrete variables. In step 2, a one-way MANOVA was performed to analyze differences in the academic performance of students with varying smartphone behavior. Regarding the cluster analysis results (Table 7 ), the value of the change in the Bayesian information criterion in the second cluster was − 271.954, indicating that it would be appropriate to group the data. Specifically, we assigned the participants into either the high smartphone use group or the low smartphone use group, comprised of 230 and 269 participants (46.1% and 53.9%), respectively.

The MANOVA was preceded by the Levene test for the equality of variance, which revealed nonsignificant results, F (6, 167,784.219) = 1.285, p  > 0.05. Thus, we proceeded to use MANOVA to examine differences in the academic performance of students with differing smartphone behaviors (Table 8 ). Between-group differences in academic performance were significant, F (3, 495) = 44.083, p  < 0.001, Λ = 0.789, η 2  = 0.211, power = 0.999. Subsequently, because academic performance consists of three dimensions, we performed univariate tests and an a posteriori comparison.

Table 9 presents the results of the univariate tests. Between-group differences in learning activities were significant, ( F [1, 497] = 40.8, p  < 0.001, η 2  = 0.076, power = 0.999). Between-group differences in learning applications were also significant ( F [1, 497] = 117.98, p  < 0.001, η 2  = 0.192, power = 0.999). Finally, differences between the groups in learning attitudes were significant ( F [1, 497] = 23.22, p  < 0.001, η 2  = 0.045, power = 0.998). The a posteriori comparison demonstrated that the high smartphone use group significantly outperformed the low smartphone use group in all dependent variables with regard to academic performance. Thus, hypothesis 4 is supported.

4.5 Smartphone behavior as the mediating variable impacting academic performance

As suggested by Baron and Kenny ( 1986 ), smartphone behavior is a mediating variable affecting academic performance. We examined the impact through the following four-step process:

Step 1. The independent variable (parental control and students' self-control) must have a significant effect on the dependent variable (academic performance), as in model 1 (please see Fig.  1 ).

Step 2. The independent variable (parental control and students' self-control) must have a significant effect on the mediating variable (smartphone behaviors), as in model 2 (please see Fig.  2 ).

Step 3. When both the independent variable (parental control and student self-control) and the mediator (smartphone behavior) are used as predictors, the mediating variable (smartphone behavior) must have a significant effect on the dependent variable (academic performance), as in model 3 (please see Fig.  3 ).

Step 4. In model 3, the regression coefficient of the independent variables (parental control and student self-control) on the dependent variables must be less than in mode 1 or become insignificant.

Model 2: Model to test the impact of parental control and students’ self-control on smartphone behavior

Model 3: Both independent variables (parental control and student self-control) and mediators (smartphone behavior) were used as predictors to predict dependent variables

As can be seen in Fig.  1 , parental control and student self-control are observed variables, and smartphone behavior is a latent variable. "Strict" is set to 0, which means "Conditional", with "None" compared to "Strict". “Proactive high self-control” is also set to 0. From Fig.  1 we find that the independent variables have a significant effect on the dependent variable. The regression coefficient of parental control is 0.176, t = 3.45 ( p  < 0.01); the regression coefficient of students’ self-control is 0.218, t = 4.12 ( p  < 0.001), proving the fit of the model (Chi Square = 13.96**, df = 4, GFI = 0.989, AGFI = 0.959, CFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.915, RMSEA = 0.051, SRMR = 0.031). Therefore, the test results for Model 1 are in line with the recommendations of Baron and Kenny ( 1986 ).

As can be seen in Fig.  2 , the independent variables have a significant effect on smartphone behaviors. The regression coefficient of parental control is 0.166, t = 3.11 ( p  < 0.01); the regression coefficient of students’ self-control is 0.149, t = 2.85 ( p  < 0.01). The coefficients of the model fit are: Chi Square = 15.10**, df = 4, GFI = 0.988, AGFI = 0.954, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.932, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.039. Therefore, the results of the test of Model 2 are in line with the recommendations of Baron and Kenny ( 1986 ).

As can be seen in Fig.  3 , smartphone behaviors have a significant effect on the dependent variable. The regression coefficient is 0.664, t = 10.2 ( p  < 0.001). The coefficients of the model fit are: Chi Square = 91.04**, df = 16, GFI = 0.958, AGFI = 0.905, CFI = 0.918, TLI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.077, SRMR = 0.063. Therefore, the results of the test of Model 3 are in line with the recommendations of Baron and Kenny ( 1986 ).

As can be seen in Fig.  4 , the regression coefficient of the independent variables (parental control and student self-control) on the dependent variables is less than in model 1, and the parental control variable becomes insignificant. The regression coefficient of parental control is 0.013, t = 0.226 ( p  > 0.05); the path coefficient of students’ self-control is 0.155, t = 3.07 ( p  < 0.01).

Model 4: Model three’s regression coefficient of the independent variables (parental control and student self-control) on the dependent variables

To sum up, we prove that smartphone behavior is the mediating variable to impact the academic performance. Thus, hypothesis 5 is supported.

5 Discussion

This study investigated differences in the smartphone behavior of fifth and sixth graders in Taiwan with different background variables (focus on parental control and students’ self-control) and their effects on academic performance. The correlation between smartphone behavior and academic performance was also examined. Although smartphones are being used in elementary school learning activities, relatively few studies have explored their effects on academic performance. In this study, the proportion of girls who used smartphones to search for information was significantly higher than that of boys. Past studies have been inconclusive about gender differences in smartphone use. Lee and Kim ( 2018 ) observed no gender differences in smartphone use, but did note that boys engaged in more smartphone use if their parents set fewer restrictions. Kim et al. ( 2019 ) found that boys exhibited higher levels of smartphone dependency than girls. By contrast, Kim ( 2017 ) reported that girls had higher levels of smartphone dependency than boys did. Most relevant studies have focused on smartphone dependency; comparatively little attention has been devoted to smartphone behavior. The present study contributes to the literature in this regard.

Notably, this study found that parental control affected smartphone use. If the participants’ parents imposed no restrictions, students spent more time on leisure and entertainment and on interpersonal communication rather than on information searches. This is conceivable, as Asian parents generally discourage their children from using their smartphones for non-study related activities (such as entertainment or making friends) but not for learning-related activities. If Asian parents believe that using a smartphone can improve their child's academic performance, they will encourage their child to use it. Parents in Taiwan attach great importance to their children's academic performance (Lee et al., 2016 ). A considerable amount of research has been conducted on parental attitudes or control in this context. Hwang and Jeong ( 2015 ) suggested that parental attitudes mediated their children’s smartphone use. Similarly, Chang et al. ( 2019 ) observed that parental attitudes mediated the smartphone use of children in Taiwan. Our results are consistent with extant evidence in this regard. Lee and Ogbolu ( 2018 ) demonstrated that the stronger children’s perception was of parental control over their smartphone use, the more frequently they used their smartphones. The study did not further explain the activities the children engaged in on their smartphones after they increased their frequency of use. In the present study, the participants spent more time on their smartphones for leisure and entertainment and for interpersonal communication than for information searches.

Notably, this study also found that students’ self-control affected smartphone use.

Regarding the Pearson’s correlation analysis of smartphone behavior and academic performance, except for information searches and learning attitudes, all the variables were significantly positively correlated. In other words, there was a positive correlation between smartphone behavior and academic performance. In their systematic review, Amez and Beart ( 2020 ) determined that most empirical results provided evidence of a negative correlation between smartphone behavior and academic performance, playing a more considerable role in that relationship than the theoretical mechanisms or empirical methods in the studies they examined. The discrepancy between our results and theirs can be explained by the between-study variations in the definitions of learning achievement or performance.

Regarding the present results on the differences in the academic performance of students with varying smartphone behaviors, we carried out a cluster analysis, dividing the participants into a high smartphone use group and a low smartphone use group. Subsequent MANOVA revealed that the high smartphone use group academically outperformed the low smartphone use group; significant differences were noted in the academic performance of students with different smartphone behaviors. Given the observed correlation between smartphone behavior and academic performance, this result is not unexpected. The findings on the relationship between smartphone behavior and academic performance can be applied to smartphone use in the context of education.

Finally, in a discussion of whether smartphone behavior is a mediator of academic performance, it is proved that smartphone behavior is the mediating variable impacting academic performance. Our findings show that parental control and students’ self-control can affect academic performance. However, the role of the mediating variable (smartphone use behavior) means that changes in parental control have no effect on academic achievement at all. This means that smartphone use behaviors have a full mediating effect on parental control. It is also found that students’ self-control has a partial mediating effect. Our findings suggest that parental attitudes towards the control of smartphone use and students' self-control do affect academic performance, but smartphone use behavior has a significant mediating effect on this. In other words, it is more important to understand the children's smartphone behavior than to control their smartphone usage. There have been many studies in the past exploring the mediator variables for smartphone use addiction and academic performance. For instance, Ahmed et al. ( 2020 ) found that the mediating variables of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and attitude have a significant and positive influence in the relationship between smartphone functions. Cho and Lee ( 2017 ) found that parental attitude is the mediating variable for smartphone use addiction. Cho et al. ( 2017 ) indicated that stress had a significant influence on smartphone addiction, while self-control mediates that influence. In conclusion, the outcomes demonstrate that parental control and students’ self-control do influence student academic performance in primary school. Previous studies have offered mixed results as to whether smartphone usage has an adverse or affirmative influence on student academic performance. This study points out a new direction, thinking of smartphone use behavior as a mediator.

In brief, the participants spent more smartphone time on leisure and entertainment and interpersonal communication, but the academic performance of the high smartphone use group surpassed that of the low smartphone use group. This result may clarify the role of students’ communication skills in their smartphone use. As Kang and Jung ( 2014 ) noted, conventional communication methods have been largely replaced by mobile technologies. This suggests that students’ conventional communication skills are also shifting to accommodate smartphone use. Elementary students are relatively confident in communicating with others through smartphones; thus, they likely have greater self‐efficacy in this regard and in turn may be better able to improve their academic performance by leveraging mobile technologies. This premise requires verification through further research. Notably, high smartphone use suggests the greater availability of time and opportunity in this regard. Conversely, low smartphone use suggests the relative lack of such time and opportunity. The finding that the high smartphone use group academically outperformed the low smartphone use group also indicates that smartphone accessibility constitutes a potential inequality in the learning opportunities of elementary school students. Therefore, elementary school teachers must be aware of this issue, especially in view of the shift to online learning triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, when many students are dependent on smartphones and computers for online learning.

6 Conclusions and implications

This study examined the relationship between smartphone behavior and academic performance for fifth and sixth graders in Taiwan. Various background variables (parental control and students’ self-control) were also considered. The findings provide new insights into student attitudes toward smartphone use and into the impacts of smartphone use on academic performance. Smartphone behavior and academic performance were correlated. The students in the high smartphone use group academically outperformed the low smartphone use group. This result indicates that smartphone use constitutes a potential inequality in elementary school students’ learning opportunities. This can be explained as follows: high smartphone use suggests that the participants had sufficient time and opportunity to access and use smartphones. Conversely, low smartphone use suggests that the participants did not have sufficient time and opportunity for this purpose. Students’ academic performance may be adversely affected by fewer opportunities for access. Disparities between their performance and that of their peers with ready access to smartphones may widen amid the prevalent class suspension and school closure during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This study has laid down the basic foundations for future studies concerning the influence of smartphones on student academic performance in primary school as the outcome variable. This model can be replicated and applied to other social science variables which can influence the academic performance of primary school students as the outcome variable. Moreover, the outcomes of this study can also provide guidelines to teachers, parents, and policymakers on how smartphones can be most effectively used to derive the maximum benefits in relation to academic performance in primary school as the outcome variable. Finally, the discussion of the mediating variable can also be used as the basis for the future projects.

7 Limitations and areas of future research

This research is significant in the field of smartphone functions and the student academic performance for primary school students. However, certain limitations remain. The small number of students sampled is the main problem in this study. For more generalized results, the sample data may be taken across countries within the region and increased in number (rather than limited to certain cities and countries). For more robust results, data might also be obtained from both rural and urban centers. In this study, only one mediating variable was incorporated, but in future studies, several other psychological and behavioral variables might be included for more comprehensive outcomes. We used the SEM-based multivariate approach which does not address the cause and effect between the variables, therefore, in future work, more robust models could be employed for cause-and-effect investigation amongst the variables.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Ahmed, R. R., Salman, F., Malik, S. A., Streimikiene, D., Soomro, R. H., & Pahi, M. H. (2020). Smartphone Use and Academic Performance of University Students: A Mediation and Moderation Analysis.  Sustainability, 12 (1), 439. MDPI AG. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010439

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The authors would like to express their gratitude to the school participants in the study.

The work done for this study was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under project No. MOST 109–2511-H-017–005.

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Wang, J.C., Hsieh, CY. & Kung, SH. The impact of smartphone use on learning effectiveness: A case study of primary school students. Educ Inf Technol 28 , 6287–6320 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11430-9

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The Use of Mobile Phones in Classrooms: A Systematic Review

Calderón-Garrido, D., Ramos-Pardo, F. J., & Suárez-Guerrero, C. (2022). The Use of Mobile Phones in Classrooms: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 17(06), pp. 194–210. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i06.29181

17 Pages Posted: 8 Apr 2022

Francisco Javier Ramos-Pardo

University of Castilla La Mancha

Date Written: March 29, 2022

The inclusion and use of mobile phones in education is subject to two opposing arguments, one which defends and the other which opposes their use. This work has undertaken a systematic revision of scientific production to guide researchers in their enquiries into this subject. To achieve this, a total of 60 articles indexed to the Journal Citation Reports database between the years 2011 and 2020 have been analysed. These have been categorised in six specific areas: attitude and relationship with the mobile phone, communication, educational applications and classroom interventions, tension between agents, relationship between use and performance and problems deriving from their use. The conclusions of the analysis made show that, in general, scientific production would seem to back the introduction of mobile phones in classrooms as beneficial for educational purposes provided that certain preliminary work is carried out and a certain development is achieved of the digital and media skills of both students and teaching staff.

Keywords: mobile educational services, technology uses in education, educational technology, literature reviews

JEL Classification: I29

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Banning mobile phones in schools: beneficial or risky? Here’s what the evidence says

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Victorian education minister James Merlino’s announcement mobile phones will be banned for all students at state primary and secondary schools is certainly a bold move.

The policy has been justified as a direct response to mounting levels of cyberbullying, concerns over distractions and schools struggling with discipline relating to students’ misuse of phones.

Students will have to switch off their phones and store them in lockers from the start of the school day until the final bell. In case of an emergency, parents or guardians can reach their child by calling the school.

The minister said in a statement :

The only exceptions to the ban will be where students use phones to monitor health conditions, or where teachers instruct students to bring their phone for a particular classroom activity.

Whether to allow student use of mobile phones in school is certainly a hot topic in education. The Victorian announcement follows a French government ban on mobiles in school in 2018. Debates on the issue are also taking place in Denmark , Sweden and the United Kingdom .

There is considerable public support for banning mobiles. In our recently conducted survey of more than 2,000 Australian adults, nearly 80% supported a ban on mobile phones in classrooms. Just under one-third supported an outright ban from schools altogether.

Support for a classroom ban was remarkably consistent across different demographics, including political affiliation and age group.

But while banning phones from classrooms, and from school altogether, might seem sensible, there are number of reasons to be cautious. It’s clear we need to carefully consider how we want to make use of digital devices being brought into schools. But previous experience, such as in New York, suggests a blanket ban might introduce even more problems.

And the little research evidence that addresses the issue is mixed.

What’s the evidence?

Reports of cyberbullying have clearly gone up among school-aged children and young people over the past ten years, but the nature and precedents of cyberbullying are complex.

Research suggests there is a large overlap between cyberbullying and traditional forms of bullying, which wouldn’t then follow that digital devices are somehow causing these behaviours.

Cyberbullying also often takes place outside school hours and premises. There is a danger banning phones from classrooms might distract education staff from having to continue with efforts to address the more immediate causes of cyberbullying.

Read more: Teenagers need our support, not criticism, as they navigate life online

There is also a growing literature exploring the links between digital devices and classroom distractions. The presence of phones in the classroom is certainly found to be a source of multi-tasking among students of all ages – some of which can be educationally relevant and much of which might not.

But the impact of these off-task behaviours on student learning outcomes is difficult to determine. A review of 132 academic studies concluded, it is

difficult to determine directions and mechanisms of the causal relations between mobile phone multitasking and academic performance.

There is also a strong sense from classroom research that issues of distraction apply equally to laptops , iPads and other digital devices.

All told, the sense from academic literature is that the realities of smartphone use in classrooms are complex and decidedly messy. Our own research into how smartphones are being used in Victorian classrooms highlighted the difficulties teachers face in policing student use (what some teachers described as requiring “five minutes of firefighting” at the beginning of every lesson).

Despite this, we also found instances of students using smartphones for a range of beneficial purposes – from impromptu information seeking to live-streaming lessons for sick classmates.

Read more: Schools are asking students to bring digital devices to class, but are they actually being used?

These benefits are also reflected in classroom studies elsewhere in the world. Research from Stanford University has demonstrated , for instance, that with proper support and preparation, teachers in even the most challenging schools can “build on the ways students already use technology outside of school to help them learn in the classroom”.

There is now a whole academic field known as “ m-Learning ” where researchers have explored the pedagogical and learning advantages of using mobile devices (including phones) in lessons.

But what about a blanket ban from school altogether? Experience from elsewhere suggests enforcing a mobile ban in schools may not be as easy as it sounds.

What we can learn from others

The New South Wales government announced a review into the benefits and risks of mobile phone use in schools in June 2018, led by child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg. At the review’s completion, the government said it would only ban mobile phones from the state’s primary schools, leaving secondary schools free to make their own choice.

We recognise that technology plays an important and increasing role as students progress through their education […] We want to give secondary schools the flexibility to balance the benefits and risks of technology in the way that best supports their students.

Perhaps the most pertinent example is the ban enforced in New York City from 2006, that was eventually lifted in 2015.

The reasons given for this reversal highlighted several of the concerns the new ban in Victoria will likely face. They include practical difficulties of enforcing a ban in the classroom being exacerbated by banning of phone use during break times and lunchtimes.

First, it was clear the New York ban was being inconsistently enforced by schools – with better resourced schools in more affluent areas more likely to bend the rules and permit student use. In contrast, schools in lower-income areas with metal detectors were more likely to be rigidly enforcing the ban.

Other motivations for lifting the ban were concerns over student safety such as the need for students to contact family members during break times and lunchtimes. Families were also incurring costs to store phones securely outside of the school. There was also a recognition teachers should be trusted to exercise their professional judgement as to how they could be making good educational use of devices in their lessons.

Read more: Should mobile phones be banned in schools? We asked five experts

At the same time, it was reckoned government resources were better directed toward supporting students to learn how to use technology responsibly through cyber-safety lessons.

All these reasons are as relevant now to Victorian schools as they were to New York City schools in 2015. The use (and non-use) of mobile phones in schools is certainly an issue we need to have a proper conversation about. But it might not be as clear-cut as the recent policy announcements suggest.

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The Use of Mobile Phones in Schools

The use of cell phones in schools by students has become a fiercely debatable topic that concerns all segments of society, including students, parents, teachers, scholars, and officials. People who mostly advocate for using mobile phones consider that these devices are beneficial in providing safety and seamless connection of pupils with parents and are useful for education overall. Nevertheless, I hold to the firm conviction that the use of cell phones should be banned or maximum restricted in schools since, in most cases, they disrupt the learning process and notably impair student’s performance. Thus, in this essay, I will present valid arguments supported by statistics, credible opinions, and facts, which prove the harm of using gadgets in educational premises.

The first argument is that mobile phones disrupt the learning process by causing interruptions and distractions of students’ attention from classroom activities. It is evident that any educational material requires intense mental concentration from individuals to be adequately comprehended and memorized. This aspect is fundamental in further student’s performance and progress since one missing or misunderstood item makes it impossible to master the whole topic or even subject successfully. Moreover, because of this, students become increasingly uninterested, bored, and sometimes contemptuous towards a particular subject. Thus, the primary task and responsibility of every school or educational establishment are to create a conducive environment that promotes the learning process and helps students attain excellent outcomes.

In this context, the students who have gadgets during school classes are usually inclined to use them for communication in social networks and viewing pictures and videos on the Internet, which produces unwanted distractions. Additionally, a constant risk exists that pupils can watch embarrassing videos or content of pornographic nature via smartphones, which corrupts the students’ morals and even makes them incapable of perceiving useful, educational information. As Danielle Einstein, a clinical psychologist from the University of Sydney, asserts, the overall situation is complicated because these devices provoke dopamine release leading to strong psychological addiction (Heizer). Furthermore, Henderson, a journalist for The Independent , describes a phenomenon called phantom vibrations that occur as a result of “learned bodily behavior” (Henderson). Namely, even the slightest vibration can make an individual feel like the phone vibrates, although, in fact, vibrations were absent. Numerous phone calls from outsiders, that is, parents, relatives, and friends, also cause interruptions in learning the material taught by the teacher.

Besides, many scholars have confirmed via experiments that the presence of mobile phones in school disrupts the learning process. For example, two researchers from Western Carolina University, Lawson and Henderson, conducted the study involving 120 first-year students, which demonstrated that students who were texting during lectures obtained considerably less score regarding comprehension and performance (Lawson and Henderson 121). This study only confirmed the results of the previous similar research indicating that “texting can reduce comprehension of class material at a rate of 10–20%” (Lawson and Henderson 119). It is worth noting that these results were related to comparatively simple material.

The second argument that can be advanced against the gadgets’ use is that they can adversely affect the individual’s cognitive capabilities that are vital for students’ performance and studying. For example, the recent research performed by Ward et al. concluded that even the close location of a smartphone near the user, for instance, on the desk, can worsen cognitive capacity and fluid intelligence (140). Moreover, cognitive damage is directly proportional to the dependence from a smartphone. The research indicates that “the presence of students’ mobile devices in educational environments may undermine both learning and test performance” (Ward et al. 151). It should be mentioned that the study consisted of two experiments that involved 520 and 275 smartphone users, respectively.

The third argument is connected with cheating since many students tend to use smartphones while taking a test or even an exam. For example, according to a Pew Research Center study, 35 percent of pupils use their phones to complete tests or assignments, and 65 percent of teens reported that they see how smartphones were used by others (Morin). Overall, in the educational environment, not only does cheating make it impossible to evaluate students correctly and rightly but also allows them not to prepare for exams appropriately. This has adverse consequences for their performance and the ability to master the necessary knowledge.

Another issue that gains the increasing alert among pedagogues and parents is that cell phones can promote cyberbullying that implies threats, harassments, humiliation, or torments by means of technology. Cyberbullying can be executed through social media sites or other websites and text messages or emails. Besides, this phenomenon has various forms, including impersonation, that is, fake accounts, trolling, flaming, namely, posting derogatory comments, cyberstalking, trickery, and denigration, that is, posting gossip and rumors about someone. According to the survey conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center in 2016, around 34 percent of middle and high school students have experienced cyberbullying; some of them cyberbullied several times (McCullum). It should be specified that cyberbullying leads to significant negative outcomes and can cause depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, loss of interest in studies, and even using alcohol and drugs. Moreover, this type of bullying is difficult for teachers to track and stop.

The last argument is correlated with disconnection from face-to-face communication and a decrease in the students’ participation in outside and social activities. Working together and leading in-person discussions about a particular topic is an indispensable part of education. Moreover, involvement in sports and social activities play an essential role in the psychological and physical development of children and adolescents. With the excessive use of gadgets, many teens tend to avoid traditional, alive conversations and outside games and prefer to communicate using smartphones, play digital games, and hang on the Internet. In this regard, secondary schools in the UK began establishing stricter rules regarding cell phones, prohibiting using them in school premises individuals under sixteen years of age (Hymas). This measure has resulted in the fact that students become more active, alert, and sociable in the school setting.

To summarize, in this essay, I have advanced valid and persuasive arguments against the use of mobile phones in schools, maintained by statistics, credible opinions, and facts. These arguments include the disruption of the learning process, the adverse effect on the individual’s cognitive capabilities, cheating, cyberbullying, and disconnection from face-to-face communication. For example, the disruption of the learning process caused by possible distractions related to phone calls or communication in social networks while cyberbullying is accompanied by threats, harassments, humiliation, or torments using technology. In conclusion, as Nick Gibb, a British politician, said, “Every hour spent online and on a smartphone is an hour less talking to family, and it’s an hour less exercise, and it’s an hour less sleep” (Austin). Thus, people, especially teachers, students, and parents, should be aware of the harm of using mobile phones in schools to prevent unfortunate consequences concerning students’ performance, education, their mental health, overall.

Works Cited

Austin, H. “ Mobile Phones ‘Should be Banned from Schools,’ Minister Says. ” Independent , 2019, Web.

Heizer, S. “ What do Five Experts Think about Mobile Phones in Schools? ” Guardian , 2018, Web.

Henderson, E. “ Phantom Vibration Syndrome: Up to 90 Percent of People Suffer Phenomenon while Mobile Phone Is in Pocket ”. The Independent , Web. 2016.

Hymas, C. “Secondary Schools Are Introducing Strict New Bans on Mobile Phones.” The Telegraph–UK , 2018.

Lawson, Dakota, and Henderson, Bruce B. “The Costs of Texting in the Classroom.” College Teaching , vol. 63, no. 3, 2015, pp. 119-124.

McCullum, K. “ Cyberbullying in School: Prevention and Support. ” Accredited Schools Online. Web.

Morin, A. “ How Teens Use Technology to Cheat in School. ” Verywell Family , 2019, Web.

Ward, Adrian F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., and Bos, M.W. “Brain drain: The Mere Presence of one’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity.” Journal of the Association for Consumer Research , vol. 2, no. 2, 2017, pp. 140-154.

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Mobile phones in the classroom – what does the research say?

In a recent Teacher article, two schools discussed their differing policies on mobile phone use during school hours. Here, we look at a range of studies that have explored the positives and negatives of allowing mobile phones to be used in class.

As Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs become more widespread, questions are being raised about the benefits of allowing students to actively use mobile phones as learning devices in school. Over the past decade, several studies have taken a closer look at student and educator perspectives on the issue.

One comparative study was undertaken across two schools in England in 2012, and details how students from each school use their devices during class time. One school allows the use of mobile devices and one doesn't.

The study titled “I don't think I would be where I am right now.” Pupil perspectives on using mobile devices for learning conducted student surveys. The results show that 43 per cent of students attending the school where devices are banned are still using them to help with learning despite the ban. Meanwhile, 74 per cent of students at the school which allow them, use the devices to aid learning.

Most respondents in this study say they use their device for Google and calendars during the school day. As for learning at home, most students also rely on their device.

‘A few days ago, my friend didn't understand one of the questions on the Science homework, so he Facetimed me, and I showed him my answer and I explained how I got that answer to him ...' one student says.

The research shows that students rely mostly on their devices to keep them organised. The calendar, alarms and camera (usually to take photos of a teacher's notes) are features constantly used by students, the report notes. ‘One pupil said his device was essential for “remembering things” and without he would “forget to take homework in a lot”.'

Overall, this study proposes that mobile devices are a suitable learning tool for the classroom.

‘There is clear evidence that many pupils feel that they are deriving educational benefit from the use of their devices,' the report says. ‘They are using many of the features of their devices and often finding creative ways to employ these features in their schoolwork, both at home and at school.'

Students with concerns

A study conducted in the US reveals concerns held by some students about the risks involved with allowing mobile phones to be used freely at school. The research, Hold the phone! High School Students' Perceptions of Mobile Phone Integration in the Classroom , which was published in 2016, found that although seven out of 10 of students interviewed think mobile phones support learning, serious concerns still exist among 30 per cent of respondents, who feel the negative effects of smartphones justifies a school-wide ban.

Across the 628 students surveyed, worries range from general distraction (for example, phones ringing during class) to fears about other students using smartphones to cheat, sext and cyberbully.

Despite this, the study also found that 90.7 per cent of the students surveyed were using their mobile phones for school-related work.

The authors of this study say that school policy makers should consider these findings and ‘develop clear policies on appropriate classroom mobile phone use as well as consequences for their misuse … expecting schools to completely eliminate the problems associated with mobile phone integration, however, is unrealistic; therefore, school stakeholders must carefully consider the benefits and barriers identified by students in determining policy.'

Mobile phone use – a teacher's perspective

As for what teachers think about including the use of mobile phones in their lessons, one US study looked at nine teachers' attempts to incorporate various technology devices in their lessons.

The study , Teaching and learning with mobile computing devices from 2015 details the experiences of one Mathematics teacher, Steven, who uses an iPhone in class.

‘Steve used his own iPhone to document students' work and attendance,' the study says. ‘He uploaded scanned tests, quizzes, assignments, and photographs into a web-based software application called Evernote. Each of his students [primarily 9th and 10th graders] had a file in this program … this was helpful to Steven when conducting formal and informal parent-teacher conferences and also when discussing with other teachers and administration.

‘Steven enjoyed the flexibility of mobile devices by holding class in locations other than his classroom, such as the auditorium and outside … [and] he could use his iPhone to “pull up every document [he's] ever scanned in and get a much bigger, much more accurate picture” of a student's progress.'

Although participants in this study say using a mobile device in the classroom involved the need for exploration and a lot of personal research, the authors suggest that with the growing trend of BYOD, schools should consider integrating mobile devices into lesson plans.

References:

Grant, M.M, Tamim, S., Brown, D.B., Sweeney, J.P., Ferguson, F.K., & Jones, L.B (2015). Teaching and learning with mobile computing devices: Case study in K-12 classrooms. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning , 59(4), 32-45. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0869-3

Thomas, K, & Muñoz, MA. (2016) 'Hold the Phone! High School Students' Perceptions of Mobile Phone Integration in the Classroom', American Secondary Education, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 19-37. https://www.ashland.edu/coe/about-college/american-secondary-education-journal

Walker, R. (2013) “I don't think I would be where I am right now". Pupil perspectives on using mobile devices for learning', Research in Learning Technology, vol. 21, pp. 1-12. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v21i2.22116

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Should Students Have Cell Phones at School?

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Cell phones in classrooms—yes or no?

Do you know how long it takes a child to refocus after being on their phone?

With July cruising into its last week, the start of the school year rapidly approaches. Supplies, class lists, meetings, and more begin filling up family schedules. A new cell phone might be on your child’s supplies or wish list—but should they have access to it in school?

For parents, how would you feel if your district made a policy forbidding cell phones? Thrilled for them to get off their phones for a while? Anxious about not being able to reach them?

For teachers, would you miss having phones for some assignments, or would you breathe a huge sigh of relief? Currently, few districts or schools have explicit and/or effectively supported policies, leaving many teachers and parents to create their own systems. These systems often add up to a hodgepodge of inconsistent expectations that don’t support students or teachers.

What does the science show us about smartphones in school? Unfortunately, not much. Research has been slow to catch up on these concerns despite the urgent need for answers.

Still, some conclusions can be drawn from the existing studies combined with accumulating experiences from parents, teachers, mental health professionals, and students. Cell phones in school—and specifically in the classroom—appear to offer both potential benefits and significant risks to learning. It turns out the subject isn’t a simple choice between banning them entirely or letting kids have access without guardrails.

Some of the biggest potential benefits of cell phones in school or classrooms include improving access to and engagement in learning. Teachers can meet kids where they are and build creative lesson plans and activities that use students’ phones. For some students with disabilities, phones can be powerful tools for increasing accessibility to learning materials and classroom participation.

The other benefit that many parents value is being able to reach their child during the school day. Often, parents and students worry that in an extreme situation—such as a shooting or lockdown—they want to be able to reach each other. At the same time, easy access to phones has led to some normalizing of routine communications between students and parents during the day, which can disrupt student learning and classroom function.

Even with these potential positives, the presence of cell phones in the classroom brings significant negatives, but one is the most fundamental— distraction . “Multi-tasking” doesn’t work—especially in learning situations.

Some research has shown that once a student is on their phone (or even has a phone in their vicinity), it takes about 20 minutes for them to refocus on the material being presented. That’s about one-half of a typical high school class period—meaning students can be missing 50 percent of what is being taught. Not only are they missing material, but they also aren’t engaging in the learning process with teachers and peers. Effective learning is active, and being on their phone takes that away.

The content on cell phones effectively keeps our eyes on the screen and discourages looking away. Big Tech makes big money by creating algorithms that are meant to steal our attention . They excel at it. It’s hard enough for adults to regulate phone use, but children and teen brains don’t have anywhere near fully developed impulse control abilities. Asking them to just stop doing it—without carefully designed barriers and supports—is simply not going to work.

And for students with learning differences and disorders such as ADHD —or who are struggling with learning for any reason—the temptation to look at their phone and not participate in class is tremendous. While these students often disengage in other ways ( sleeping , staring out the window, going to the bathroom), having access to constant, algorithm-driven content creates a rabbit hole that’s all too easy for them to get deeply lost in. While phones might be helpful for specific learning tasks for students with disabilities, free-range access hurts learning and engagement.

As schools become more aware of how harmful cell phones can be to learning, attempts to limit this harm often face strong headwinds from parent concerns about being able to reach their children. Schools and districts must integrate these concerns when developing policies that would limit children’s access to their devices during the day. It’s easy to say that we can go back to calling the office if you need to get a message to your child, but fears of something like a school shooting are powerful—and, while extremely rare, difficult to dismiss.

Hammering out systems for keeping kids off phones when they are supposed to be learning will require effective communication between everyone involved, including administration, teachers, families, and (older) students. Administrators must develop mechanisms to support the implementation of policies. Expectations need to apply to all students because kids worry that if they are the only ones not on their phones, they miss out on critical social connections. Without universal policy implementation, even with children who would prefer to put their phones away (and many would), their very normal need to stay connected would win out.

Any policy enacted needs to be dynamic, flexible, and responsive to feedback. Students with disabilities will require reasonable accommodations. Well-defined and effective systems for feedback from all stakeholders will be critical to keep policies viable and successful. Evolution in technology will create new needs and opportunities.

Learning is a fundamental right for our children. Participating in school and learning is key to kids’ physical and mental health. While the debate rages on about phones in kids’ lives outside of school, it seems clear that, as hard as it will be, cell phones don’t belong in the classroom.

UNESCO. 2023. Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in education - A tool on whose terms? Paris, UNESCO

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Learning & Tech

Laptops and phones in the classroom: yea, nay or a third way.

Anya Kamenetz

"If something on their desk or in their pocket dings, rings or vibrates — they will lose focus."

"Students are doing so much in class, distraction and disruption isn't really something I worry about."

How should teachers — both K-12 and college — deal with the use of computers and phones by students in class?

On one hand, those sleek little supercomputers promise to connect us to all human knowledge. On the other hand, they are also scientifically designed by some of the world's top geniuses to feel as compelling as oxygen.

So where does that leave teachers? Should you ban these devices in the classroom? Let students go whole hog? Or is there a happy medium?

This seemingly simple topic ends up being what one professor and pedagogy expert calls "a Rorschach test for so much that's going on in education."

Recently, the California state teachers pension fund weighed in — as a large investor in Apple, the makers of the iPhone. In an open letter, along with another activist shareholder, it called on the company to study digital distraction among youth and to make it easier to limit young people's use.

The letter cited a national survey that found two-thirds of K-12 teachers said the number of students who are negatively distracted by digital technologies in the classroom is growing. Of those teachers surveyed, 75 percent said students' ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased.

Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away

Research at the college level backs that up; a small, 2017 study at Michigan State University found students in an introductory psychology course spent up to a third of class time surfing the Web to nonacademic sites — even though they knew that the researchers were tracking their computer use.

Sounds ominous. But the debate over devices in the classroom has many more perspectives. I spoke with four professors, a high school teacher, a psychiatrist and a technologist to get a range of different views.

No way, no how

Allia Griffin teaches in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Santa Clara University in California. Her policy is simple: "Phones/devices must be turned off and not visible during class time."

Her reason is simple too: "Phones are distracting. My experience has been that no matter how invested a student may be in a class discussion or lecture, if something on their desk or in their pocket dings, rings or vibrates — they will lose focus."

How To Get Students To Stop Using Their Cellphones In Class

And she worries about missed opportunities to socialize face-to-face. "Beyond being distracting, students also use phones/laptops/devices as objects to hide behind to avoid participating in class or interacting with their peers."

Frequently, Griffin adds, "I will walk into a classroom on the first day of the quarter and will find 30 students sitting silently in their seats and individually texting or Instagramming on their phones. This is a tragic scene. The college classroom is ... a unique space to exchange ideas and thoughts and develop the ability to communicate with a variety of people."

"Candy" is unhealthy

Katherine Welzenbach teaches high school chemistry in Overland Park, Kan. She, too, bans cellphones — and even backpacks, where phones often hide — in her classes.

These devices are worse than distracting, she says. They can connect teens to cyberbullying, hate speech, sexting and other "unhealthy" experiences.

Welzenbach is vocal about her stance, despite what she calls "shaming" of teachers like herself who take a hard line. "Teachers who see cellphones as distractions are often labeled as being 'unengaging,' " she says.

She understands the argument that teens need to learn to use the Internet appropriately. But she uses healthy eating as an analogy: Don't give kids unlimited access to "Halloween candy and Christmas cookies while they are still learning to eat a balanced diet."

Distraction has an upside

What you're really talking about when you talk about laptop bans, says Jesse Stommel, is student freedom.

"Ultimately, I see strict laptop policies (and especially blanket bans) as a form of control," explains Stommel, who directs the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

And that, he tells NPR, is a bad thing. "I don't think the attention of students is actually something teachers can or should control."

Stommel, who has been engaged in many debates over laptop bans on Twitter, calls the issue "weirdly divisive" but also, in the end, "a red herring."

Instead of an "authoritarian approach," he suggests a conversation.

"We can talk to students about attention and have them talk to us about how attention works for them," Stommel says. "This is the kind of metacognitive work that is the stuff of learning."

Distraction, he adds, can actually be a gateway to learning. It can be necessary for "peak experiences like making connections, having epiphanies, understanding abstract concepts."

There may also be times, he says, that the phone or computer can be an in-class tool. "We can also ask students to use their devices in ways that help them and the rest of the class, looking up a confusing term, polling their friends on Facebook about a topic we're discussing or taking collaborative notes in an open document."

On the other hand, says Stommel, there may be times and places to shut it down, too: "We can ask students to close their laptops at particular moments, recognizing that it is useful to learn different things, at different times, in different ways."

Embrace diversity

Catherine Prendergast, a professor of English at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, also believes that blanket bans are a bad idea. But her concern is a little different than Stommel's. She is thinking about students with special needs.

"Federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, extends to protect students' classrooms," she tells NPR. "If a student needs to use a laptop as an accommodation, they have a right to do so."

But making the student ask to bring a laptop could be seen as an invasion of privacy, Prendergast says. Better to allow them for all: "The ADA enjoins us to affirmatively seek to remove barriers to education and to make our classrooms more inclusive, not less."

Some students need to be device-free

Victoria Dunckley, a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist and the author of Reset Your Child's Brain, has a different perspective. She prescribes strict limits on screen time to young people who are suffering from a variety of psychological ills. She says she has encountered "pushback" when trying to shield her patients from using devices at schools that have integrated them into the classroom.

If your students are distracted, then improve your teaching

Derek Bruff is a mathematician and director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

He says research finds that note-taking by hand can lead to better recall than note-taking by typing on a computer. The reason is that when you write more slowly by hand, you have to think through what you're hearing and put down only the most important bits; touch-typers tend to transcribe what a person is saying without doing much processing of what they're hearing.

However, Bruff adds, comparing those two scenarios misses a point that's backed up by even more research: Lecturing while someone takes notes is not a very engaging or effective mode of teaching to begin with.

"If you're going to spend 80 to 100 percent of your class time lecturing, phones are going to be distracting to students," he says.

What works much better? Getting students to collaborate and debate in small groups, for one thing. He has also seen anecdotally that "if you give students something productive and on-topic to do with their devices," it reduces idle browsing. He calls this the "Google jockey" approach.

The Two-Way

France moves to ban students from using cellphones in schools.

Like Stommel, he believes there is a time and a place for laptops and phones, but also a time and place to exclude them. "Sometimes you want three students around a piece of paper."

Fight technology with technology

Alanna Harvey is the co-founder and marketing director of Flipd, a phone app that limits the use of your phone. You can set a timer to lock yourself out of all functions except basic texts and phone calls.

Not long after launch, the company noticed that college students were among its biggest user base, so it began aiming the app at educators.

"Our research and discussions with customers have consistently found that digital distractions are negatively impacting the learning experience for students and educators," she says.

Harvey argues that Flipd offers a fresh, not coercive approach. Rather than instituting a ban, the company encourages professors to offer extra credit for installing the app and using it during class.

Highly engaging lesson plans, as Bruff advocates, are all well and good, but they're no match for the latest game or social network, Harvey says.

"Some of the most engaging professors I know are Flipd customers," she says. "Which I believe suggests that the problem isn't the professor, it may not even be the students, but it's the devices we know that are designed to influence and manipulate our behavior in many ways."

Bring policies in line with values

John Warner, who teaches English at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, has been on both sides of the device divide.

As recently as four years ago he had a policy of "no laptops in class, except for specific, designated activities," and banned cellphones except for emergencies. But after engaging in debates online with Stommel and others, his position shifted.

He sees himself as "more of a catalyst for learning, rather than a conduit of information." To live up to that value, he in turn needed his students to be what he calls "self-governing" over technology.

Warner says it has been working well. He has small writing classes, with about 20 students, and he almost never asks them to simply sit and take notes. "Students are doing so much in class," he says, "distraction and disruption isn't really something I worry about. They're too busy."

Correction April 11, 2018

A previous version of this story incorrectly said a student laptop study was done at the University of Michigan. It was actually done at Michigan State University.

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Argumentative Essay on the Use of Mobile Phones in Schools

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Maryam Ghalib

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The continuing and rapid evolution of mobile telephony seems to effect contemporary life and especially students life. In our research we investigate Greek high school students' beliefs and attitudes about mobile telephony and their stance on mobile phone usage. A total of 194 students of high school, participated in the study (99 boys and 95 girls). A closed form questionnaire with 16 sentences has been given. The data that has been collected analyzed using Factor Analysis method. In this way the data grouped according to their interrelation, in order to project special categories and fully describe students' attitudes. Based on the Factor Analysis five independent axes arise, which interpret the 69% of the total sample. The results show that although students consider mobile phone as a necessity, they treat it as a life style gadget. (Mobile telephony, high school, greek students) I.

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In 21 st century the revolution of using mobile phone is the most significant issue in the information technology of the modern world. Bangladesh is not beyond the atmospheric. Most of the people either poor or rich use this device widely. Specially the teenagers who are the learners of secondary level are addicted to this technological device. For this reason, they are becoming lag behind from academic study/performance. The research work aims at finding out the above problems and its solutions with keen observations. It also expects to make the learners of secondary level involve in classroom study. The Research work has been done according to the quantitative or some somehow mixed method. To make this research authentic, all the information has been collected from various primary and secondary sources, such as research works, journal articles, newspaper articles etc. Questionnaire with survey method has directly been followed among the learners, teachers, guardians and concerned elites. Here in the manuscript the author has desired to make a result that learners, teachers, guardians, concerned elites, the authority of educational institutions and even the government will realize the harmful effect of excessive use of mobile phone among the learners of secondary level and try to solve this problem collectively. Finally, this study established that excessive use of mobile phone among the learners of secondary level made the quality of education very less than before in Bangladesh especially in Sirajganj district of Bangladesh.

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Mobile phones are widely used by university students and there is a controversial topic whether students should be able to use them freely during lectures. A survey was distributed seeking student opinions on using mobile phones in classroom. We used two-phase sampling method to reduce the nonresponse bias. There were 392 valid responses. To test the effect of different factors on students’ opinions a number of statistical techniques were utilized. The results showed Qatar University students marginally favored using mobile in classroom but using mobile phone distracted some students who are less in favor of using phone during lectures. The proportion of students who believe that student should decide to use or not use mobile in the classes is 0.635. Apparently, students expected implementation of a policy that controls the use of mobile phones in class. Recommendations include a blanket policy for the University on the use of mobile phones during class, mobile phone breaks given by...

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The study investigated the uses of a cell phone in educational activities of students at a higher level. The recommendation of National Professional Standards on the use of ICT in education provides a strong theoretical background for the study. The objectives of the study focused on the investigation of the perception of teachers and students regarding the uses of the cell phone in educational activities and effective communication between students and teachers for educational progress. Adopting a descriptive research design, a survey was carried out to investigate one hundred respondents by using a self-developed questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed through percentage and findings were tabulated consequently which show that majority of respondent uses a cell phone for instructive activities and having positive effects on students’ educational performances. Furthermore, the uses of a cell phone in educational activities facilitate teachers and students at the same level i...

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This study is an effort to investigate the “Impacts of Cell Phone Using Habits on the Studies of Students of University of Sargodha and Punjab University Lahore. The study used the survey method for data collection. A sample of 100 respondents consisting of 50 Teachers and 50 Parents was selected by using purposive and convenience sampling technique. The findings show that respondents frequently use cell phone and overwhelming majority spent lots of money in their daily lives. Respondents frequently use cell phone to contact with parents followed by friends, close friends whereas somewhat with classmates and rarely with teachers. But according to teachers and parents students mostly use cell phone to contact with parents; classmates, friends, and close friends with little difference. Students frequently use cell phone in class room not for lecture recording but for the purpose of SMS texting etc. It is also observed that students mostly use cell phone for un-educational activities and according to teachers and parents due the use of cell phone respondents are losing focus on their studies and parents are decreasing their parental control on their children due to the use of cell phone.

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Cell Phones in School: Should Be Banned, Restricted or Allowed?

Why Cell Phones in School Should Be Banned?

The use of mobile phones in schools has attracted the attention of many individuals, state organizations, learning institutions, the media and the society at large. Different views have been raised on the positive impacts and the negative repercussion that come as a result of the use of mobile phones in schools. Although some positive aspects can be drawn from the use of mobile phones in schools, the negative impacts are saddening and the need to be looked at with great caution. Poor school performance of children and cheating in exams can be attributed to the use of mobile phones in schools.

School children with mobile phones tend to have a short span of attention in class due to various activities, as surfing the internet, playing games and texting. These children are also likely to cheat in exams by searching for answers through the internet or texting their colleagues for answers. Likewise, cases of mobile phone theft increase due to the urge of getting better phones to those who already have and the desire of having a phone to the poor children who cannot afford it. These should thus give an alarm to the school board to ban the use of mobile phones.

One of the major reasons why the use of mobile phones by school children should be banned is because it promotes cheating during exams. The mobile phones may provide good avenues for the children to cheat in exams and thus earn undeserved credits. Children use the taken pictures of class notes, videos, text messaging as well as wireless earbuds to gain access to materials that assist them during the exams. According to the National School Resource Officer Survey in 2004 by NASRO, it was estimated that more than 41 percent had reported handling cases of students using mobile phones improperly. The officers reported that among the improper ways school children had used mobile phones included cheating in exams, particularly through text messaging and the internet.

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Another reason why the school board should ban the use of mobile phones is due to the short span of attention by the children. Student’s concentration in class is distracted on various occasions in the presence of mobile phones. In certain instances, the disturbance can be carried on to the rest of the children in class if the phone rings out loud. This is more likely to happen and cause a lot of distraction, hampering the learning process if these phones are not put in silent mode. Moreover, if a phone is put in silent mode or on vibration, it distracts the owner leading to a short attention span in class. If a call or message, for instance, comes in, the student loses concentration and diverts their attention towards reading the message or answering the call. These lower the student’s understanding of things taught in class and in turn results in poor performance.

It is essential for the school board to note that the use of mobile phones by children promotes theft. The changing technology results in the production of more attractive and expensive mobile phones that not every child can afford. Theft complaints are thus not going to stop anytime soon if the use of mobile phones in schools will not be banned. Despite the fact that some of the children already own mobile phones, they will be tempted to steal the more sophisticated ones from their friends. The poor children who cannot afford a cell phone are no exemption and they are most likely to steal any type of phone for them to own one. It is best if schools ban their use to prevent such cases of theft.

It is thus justifiable to conclude that the school board has a big part to play in making the learning environment suitable for all the children. The ban on the use of mobile phones will be very beneficial to all and would lead to better performance. The children’s concentration span in class would improve, cheating in exams would be minimized and cases of mobile phone theft in schools would be forgotten. If the school board embraces the idea of making it illegal to use mobile phones, the society will benefit and the school children will all have a favorable environment to learn.

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Why Cell Phones in School Should Be Restricted?

People create different devices and machines due to the constant growth of human needs and demands. It is connected with the appropriate improvement in the quality of life. In fact, the creation of such a modern device as a cell phone refers to great wonders of the twenty-first century, even if its use at school is under great concern. Thus, the development of the cell phone and its regular use can improve the process of studying at school, but it can also destruct the way students thinking and learning.

The cell phone makes a revolution in education. It widens children’s outlook and suggests new ways and approaches for learning more information in different subjects through video use. It becomes evident that “allowing students to use cell phones in the classroom for specific, academic purposes has the power to increase student engagement and allow teachers to more effectively assess learning on a daily basis” (Giambalvo).

It means that the particular use of this device contributes to the development of creativity and interactive experience. Students can get free access to a large number of sources which can be essential in studying. In this case, juniors are motivated to set their goals and reach them observing different videos based on the learning topics. Additionally, this issue includes social and emotional aspects that show how an individual can assess himself/herself to reveal the appropriate persistence and diligence. Thus, modern teachers consider cell phones as a useful tool for learning, which makes studying easier and more interesting.

The cell phones provide new effective ways of learning for those who try to overcome the difficulties with the second language. In this case, it’s primary purpose is to improve the limits of students’ vocabulary. With the help of mobile dictionaries, students can memorize many new words including their translation and spelling. They also develop their vocabulary while writing a test after reading the assignment, which seems to be rather difficult (Lu 515). The point is that students do not have any limitation to learn more words every time they look up a new one and its various meanings. It is known that lexical information improves the intellect, and students’ speech becomes better. Therefore, the effectiveness of cell phone use is obvious, and it is necessary to further develop this approach.

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On the other hand, cell phones cause cheating and unceasing ringing that destroys classroom policies at school. Many teachers claim that “the technology is considered a serious source of distraction in the classroom” because it has a negative impact on academic performance (Campbell 280). In such a way, plagiarism becomes a common problem that exists among students. After finishing high schools, they are not ready to develop and create their own ideas. Students have boundless access to the Internet, thus they simply copy and paste the suggested information. It brings harm to the students’ studying as they do not make any considerable effort to develop their own intellectual skills and abilities in the process of learning. Additionally, teachers often complain that they cannot concentrate on the representation of new material due to the ringing in the class.

Moreover, parents notice that their children stop paying much attention to the school assignments but talk over the phone all the time. Perhaps, it is a precise result of parents’ numerous requests to allow their children to use mobile phones at school as they are against the past ban (Taylor). Thus, the cell phone becomes children’s obsession as they gradually begin to depend on this advanced technology.

In conclusion, the use of the cell phone improves the quality of studying as teachers can apply various teaching videos. Students can also learn the second foreign language via the cell phone by consulting the dictionary and memorizing new words as well as establishing communication and interacting with each other. However, the use of cell phones has several disadvantages while studying: the main one is cheating. This leads to reducing students’ own knowledge because they are out of practice. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the use of cell phones at school in order to avoid plagiarism which is not good for students studying.

Why Cell Phones in School Should Be Allowed?

In terms of using cell phones in school, various improvements have been established at different schools, which benefited students since their privacy has been improved as well as an effective and essential means of communication was implemented. Schools are trying out various policies that allow having cell phones at schools with some permitting students to use their phones only during breaks or at lunchtime. Other schools are encouraging students to have cell phones at school in order to enhance the educational process, the main purpose of which is to improve understanding in the classroom.

This is helpful in various ways since it provides suitable platforms for enhancing educational understanding. Other policies that were implemented allow students to carry cell phones to school and use them after classes and at breaks. The phones should be kept in lockers or backpacks during classes. This is unlike the policy of some schools that allow phones and encourage students to carry them to school and use them in class for their educational advantage.

Cell phones use in high school during break times should, therefore, be allowed because of personal rights, privacy issues, and effective and essential communication. The use of cell phones during breaks prevents students from losing attention in class and allows them to maintain necessary communications with their parents as well as provides them with the advantages of e-learning tools. Allowing students to use cell phones at school gives students the right to personal life and privacy. In addition, cell phones enhance research and improve students’ understanding since they have more access to information that is available on the Internet.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Cell Phones — Cell Phones in the schools

Cell Phones in The Schools

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Words: 989 |

Published: Dec 5, 2018

Words: 989 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., & Haywood, K. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. The New Media Consortium.
• Penuel, W. R., Briggs, D. C., Davidson, K. L., Herlihy, C., Hill, H. C., Farrell, C., ... & Gallagher, D. J. (2017). Findings from a study of research-practice partnerships in education and implications for the future. William T. Grant Foundation.
• Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135-142.
• Boyd, D. (2014). It's complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press.
• Heitner, D. (2017). Screenwise: Helping kids thrive (and survive) in their digital world. Routledge.
• Baron, N. S. (2015). Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World. Oxford University Press.
• Ito, M., Horst, H. A., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Herr-Stephenson, R., Lange, P. G., ... & Tripp, L. (2008). Living and learning with new media: Summary of findings from the digital youth project. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning.
• Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2013). Is K-12 blended learning disruptive? An introduction to the theory of hybrids. Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
• Warschauer, M. (2018). Learning in the cloud: How (and why) to transform schools with digital media. Teachers College Press.
• UNESCO. (2013). Mobile learning for teachers in UNESCO member states. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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Uses of Mobile Phones Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on uses of mobile phones.

Mobile phones are one of the most commonly used gadgets in today’s world. Everyone from a child to an adult uses mobile phones these days. They are indeed very useful and help us in so many ways.

Mobile phones indeed make our lives easy and convenient but at what cost? They are a blessing only till we use it correctly. As when we use them for more than a fixed time, they become harmful for us.

Uses of Mobile Phone

We use mobile phones for almost everything now. Gone are the days when we used them for only calling. Now, our lives revolve around it. They come in use for communicating through voice, messages, and mails. We can also surf the internet using a phone. Most importantly, we also click photos and record videos through our mobile’s camera.

The phones of this age are known as smartphones . They are no less than a computer and sometimes even more. You can video call people using this phone, and also manage your official documents. You get the chance to use social media and play music through it.

Moreover, we see how mobile phones have replaced computers and laptops . We carry out all the tasks through mobile phones which we initially did use our computers. We can even make powerpoint presentations on our phones and use it as a calculator to ease our work.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Disadvantages of Mobile Phones

While mobile phones are very beneficial, they also come to a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, they create a distance between people. As people spend time on their phones, they don’t talk to each other much. People will sit in the same room and be busy on their phones instead of talking to each other.

Subsequently, phones waste a lot of time. People get distracted by them easily and spend hours on their phones. They are becoming dumber while using smartphones . They do not do their work and focus on using phones.

Most importantly, mobile phones are a cause of many ailments. When we use phones for a long time, our eyesight gets weaker. They cause strain on our brains. We also suffer from headaches, watery eyes, sleeplessness and more.

Moreover, mobile phones have created a lack of privacy in people’s lives. As all your information is stored on your phone and social media , anyone can access it easily. We become vulnerable to hackers. Also, mobile phones consume a lot of money. They are anyway expensive and to top it, we buy expensive gadgets to enhance our user experience.

In short, we see how it is both a bane and a boon. It depends on us how we can use it to our advantage. We must limit our usage of mobile phones and not let it control us. As mobile phones are taking over our lives, we must know when to draw the line. After all, we are the owners and not the smartphone.

FAQs on Uses of Mobile Phones

Q.1 How do mobile phones help us?

A.1 Mobile phones are very advantageous. They help us in making our lives easy and convenient. They help us communicate with our loved ones and carry out our work efficiently. Furthermore, they also do the work of the computer, calculator, and cameras.

Q.2 What is the abuse of mobile phone use?

A.2 People are nowadays not using but abusing mobile phones. They are using them endlessly which is ruining their lives. They are the cause of many ailments. They distract us and keep us away from important work. Moreover, they also compromise with our privacy making us vulnerable to hackers.

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The vendor has advised customers that the August 4 attack "resulted in a small percentage of devices to be unenrolled from Mobile Guardian," which somehow led to remote wiping. Customers in Europe and North America are also at risk.

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