The Impact of Smartphone Use on Learning Effectiveness: A Case Study of College Students

Objective This study aimed to determine the impact of mobile phone use on the study habits and time management of undergraduate students at a Private University in Nigeria. Method The study employed a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design. The study was carried out among 382 students across various colleges and class levels in a private university. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were obtained using a semi-structured pretested questionnaire. A mathematical model was also used to study the effect of specific absorption rates from the phone on the mental concentration level of students. Results Findings from this study revealed that more than half (56.0%) of the respondents were between 19 and 23 years old, with a mean age of 20.5±3.2, and a little above average (52.4%) were females. The majority of the respondents (64.9%) spent more than 5 hours on their mobile phones daily. A little above half (57%) of the students had a poor pattern of mobile phone use, while 59% had bad study habits. On the other hand, the majority (73%) of the students had good time management practices. Also, there were significant relationships between mobile phone use and study habits (p=0.001) and study habits and time management (p=0.001), but no significant association existed between mobile phone use and time management (p=0.070) at 95% confidence interval. The model suggests that students’ concentration may be affected by the specific absorption rate from mobile phones, leading to varying levels of distraction. Conclusion Conclusively, above half of the students had a bad pattern of mobile phone use and poor study habits; however, the majority of the students had good time management. Hence, undergraduates should be educated about the ill effects of excessive mobile phone use on their physical, mental, and social health and academic performance.