Abstract

The study investigated the effects of the proliferation of smart phones on student’s lifestyle.  Specifically, the study sought to describe the Smart phone usage habits of the University of Buea students, investigate how smart phones affect students’ academic activities, and also find out whether smart phones distract students from other activities. The descriptive Survey research design was used for the study. Questionnaire was used as instrument to obtain data. Four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The respondents consisted of 240 students drawn from the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences of the university Buea. Purposeful/judgmental sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse demographic data and inferential statistics specifically one-sample t test was used to test the significance and determine whether to reject or accept the hypotheses. All tests were based on the 0.05 level of significance. The data was analysed using a computer programme, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. An analysis of the findings indicated that smart phones have negative effects on students’ life style. Also, there exists a difference in the uses of smart phones among students of the University of Buea.  That is while some students use it for academic purposes others used it to browse on face book and other social media. Again, the results showed that smart phones negatively affect students’ academic activities and do also distract students from performing other activities. It was recommended that University students need to be re-orientated on the need to set their priorities right. This drive towards reorientation must be championed by the university academic advisors and counsellors in conjunction with the parents/guardians of the students.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Technology has evolved exponentially over the past thirty years to become an integral part of the everyday lives of people. Widespread use of cells phones for information, entertainment, business and interpersonal communications has made cells phones one of the central technologies of the twenty first century. With no clear evidence to guide our understanding of the overall impact of the internet on our lives, society has forged ahead embracing the role of technology by expanding our opportunities for social communication and more specifically our need for immediacy. This technological fixated mind set for increased social communication has developed into a global trend that spans race, gender, and generations and socioeconomic status. More recently the role of technology has changed from passive provision of tools for social communication (i.e. computers and the internet) to meeting society’s demand for a faster, more efficient device to quench this thirst for greater and more immediate accessibility to our social worlds.

The smart phones emerged in the mid-90s with all of the features that would meet this new demand. Smart phone technology allows the users to talk, text, surf the internet, initiate and end relationships and takes and make photographs available to others, all in one social communication device. These devices are handheld, packet size and powerful in their ability to connect users to their social worlds. The proliferation of cells phones and membership of social network sites such as face book, viber, twitter, like computers and the internet before them, have led to an increase in ability to connect with others whether it is across miles, city blocks or a crowded room are the same issues that present themselves with the use of smart phones. Thus smart phones have an even greater impact on users because of their mobility and the immediacy factor. Wireless communication has emerged as one of the fastest diffusing media on the planet, fuelling an emergent “mobile youth culture” thus increases popularity of mobile phones and smart phones are seen as a mixed blessing. Students say phones make their lives safer and more convenient. Yet they also cite new tensions connected to cell phone use.

As cell phones have become more available, they are increasingly owned and used by teens. Further, as handset become more loaded with capacities ranging from video recording and sharing, to music playing and internet access, teens and young adults have ever-increasing repertories of use. Indeed, we are moving into an era when mobile devices are not just for talking and texting but can also access the internet and all it has to offer.

The cell phone is one of the most rapidly growing technologies in the world (Rebello, 2010). In 2001, cell phone users were less than a billion worldwide with the majority of the users from the developed countries. By the end of 2010 however, cell phone subscriptions had reached five billion worldwide with subscription from developing countries out numbering that of the developed countries (Rebello, 2010). Obviously, this increase includes a sharp increase in the number of cell phones used by the younger generations.

This area of interest was chosen because of the unregulated usage and over attitude on these devices. Interestingly, this is obviously imperative as Rebello (2010) had observed that the youth have consistently displayed higher level of attachment to their cell phones which could serve as distractions to them because of the time channelled to the phones.

This study is using both theoretical and empirical knowledge to supply the reader with information to issues related to the academic performance of students, using the university student area of concentration. This study is carried out in order to make available the problems associated with students usage of smart phones during school period and how it can serve as precautionary measure towards achieving good academic result for student .In an attempt to discuss about the issue of this topic on smart phones, personal observations have been seen among students using the phone for visiting social plat form such as Face book, Twitter, yahoo, my space and instant massage (yahoo messengers, msn messengers) during  school period and after   academic period indicating that the phones have a strong effect on the student .

Calling to mind the judicious gap which has been mended by technology, it should be noted that the usage of smart phones are not intended for negative purpose and influence, however, the attitude and time channelled towards this device has enslaved the student, also making them addicts, such as a study by the university of Navarra affirms that young people between fifteen and seventeen admit being addicted to their phones (Naval et al, 2004). While specialists indicate that the abuse of the use of cell phone could be typified as a disorder of addiction that has to be stopped as soon as possible (Paniagua, 2005). Reawakening, to the recalcitrant mode of the student academic prowess  in academic ‘’ world’’ there  is a  need to address  student prerogative in the society which serve as issues in empowering  them towards helping to the development of the society which also address the issue of gender equality, if we are looking towards positive changes in the society and development. Thus without bringing the issues of mis-channelled time and energy towards things that hinder the development of the students in the society, their picture seen as “half baked” in most parts of the world will continue to thrive unabated thus creating more chasm between taking up roles and jobs left by the aged and making the world a sustainable and a global village. However, students are seen as future leaders to pilot the affairs of community and nations when they graduate and take up post in different works of life, the need to set their priorities right is fundamental.

 

1.2 Statement of Problem

The invention of the technology such as smart phones has, no doubt, brought about immense positive progress to human societies, but this invention equally brought in its wake some observed attitudinal problems among university students. This mainly manifests among the students who use smart phones. However, this is not to say that these problems are solely caused by the usage of these phones as there are other causes, but that the attitudes of the users and the mode of the usages are significantly the contributing factors especially in the 21st century. In analysing the problem of these smart phones and in order to synchronize and have a clearer understanding of the problems as it is related to this study, it must be borne in mind that other varying platforms of distractions towards the academic performance of the students in the university are also implicated, such as the computer usage, which generate internet social sites and the visual display device for relaxation such as televisions. An area where this problem can be seen is in the aspect of nonverbal communication in the students’ writings often fraught with acronyms developed for chatting purposes and the use of abbreviations to shorten the length of the write-ups.

In addition to this, there is high tendency of the students to interact with their phones in the class in the course of lectures, either to respond to received messages, or to browse the internet. These may be taking a heavy toll on the level of concentration devoted to lectures. Even while outside the classroom environment, many students who use smart phones devote much time interacting with their phones by chatting on the viber, twitter, face book, instant messages (yahoo messenger). Consequently, time that ought to have been devoted to studies and other useful academic endeavours is thus frittered away.  In the light of this problem, it is pertinent and imperative to carry out a study of this kind, in which a sizeable number of students were engaged.

 

1.3 Purpose of the Study

1.3.1 Main objective

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the proliferation of smart phones on student’s lifestyle at the University of Buea.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives of the Study

Specifically, the study sought to: Identify

1. The main uses of smart phones by students of the University of Buea.
2. Describe the Smart phone usage habits of the University of Buea students.
3. Investigate how smart phones affect students’ academic activities.
4. Find out whether smart phones distract students from other activities.