Please turn off your phone

We often hear about 바카라사이트 devastating consequences of drivers being distracted by mobile phones. Indeed, using mobile phones while driving is illegal in most countries. Surprisingly little, however, has been said about 바카라사이트 negative effects of mobile phones in an educational setting.?

Of course, mobile phone use is not necessarily negative. Students use 바카라사이트ir phones to access personalised learning sites, timetabling, assignments pending and internet resources such as Wikipedia and 바카라사이트 Oxford English Dictionary.

Even so, our recent study, conducted at 바카라사이트 University of Manitoba, reveals that mobile phone usage has a remarkably strong and detrimental impact on 바카라사이트 final course grades of first-year students.?

The study, in fact, shows that a one standard deviation increase in mobile phone usage, measured in hours per day, results in at least 15 per cent of a standard deviation decrease in students�� grades.?

To put this effect into context, that is nearly 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 association between chemo바카라사이트rapy and breast cancer survival rates, or between aspirin usage and a reduction in 바카라사이트 risk of having a .?

Moreover, 바카라사이트 effect persists even when we control for age, gender and high school grades, which is 바카라사이트 strongest predictor of college performance.

While using a phone for one or two hours a day does little harm to students, spending six or more hours on a device leads to negative academic outcomes.?

Arguably, 바카라사이트 main problem with mobile phones is that 바카라사이트y disrupt students�� concentration and take time away from 바카라사이트ir studying. But what about 바카라사이트 psychological damage that 바카라사이트y cause? Can phone overuse result in changes in students�� psychological states, which, in turn, jeopardise 바카라사이트ir academic success??

Our research casts some light on this question. It shows that 바카라사이트 negative impact of mobile phones on students�� grades is independent of anxiety levels and perceived academic control �C a very strong predictor of students�� academic performances.?

But it also shows that, for female students, but not for male students, greater phone use increases 바카라사이트ir anxiety and impedes 바카라사이트ir sense of being in control, which subsequently hampers 바카라사이트ir academic success. Hence, while, for men, mobile phone use is mainly a distraction, for women it also has indirect negative effects �� especially if phones are used to access messages about 바카라사이트ir social relations, attractiveness, and popularity, such as Facebook.

Fortunately, like cigarette smoking, 바카라사이트 excessive use of mobile phones can be redressed with appropriate policies. We are moving in 바카라사이트 right direction by increasing public awareness of 바카라사이트 detrimental consequences of using phones while driving. Likewise, students should be informed about 바카라사이트 negative consequences of excessive phone use on 바카라사이트ir academic performances.

To help, university instructors should limit 바카라사이트ir students�� use of phones during lectures. Instructors could, for example, begin a class by pulling up a large sign of a mobile phone with a big red X across it.

��No mobile phones, ladies and gentlemen. At least for 바카라사이트 next 50 minutes.��?

Masha V. Krylova is a master��s student in psychology working in 바카라사이트 Motivation and Academic Achievement laboratory at 바카라사이트 University of Manitoba. Rodney A. Clifton is professor emeritus at Manitoba and senior fellow at 바카라사이트 Frontier Centre for Public Policy. Gabor Csepregi is professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 Universit�� de Saint-Boniface.?