Using smartphones during the class is a big issue and is clearly a distraction that leads

many of students to not focus on study. With students spending up to 20% of their in-class time
texting, emailing, and checking social media, it is no wonder the debate about cell phones in the
classroom is alive and well. Some students think smartphones can support their assignments,
therefore if they are using their phone all through class then they will not focus on what the
teacher is saying (Kara, 2020). When students use their cell phones to check social media and
text their friends in class, it leads to distractions for those students as well as for their peers. This
can cause disruptions in class, particlarly if the teacher is constantly telling students to turn their
devices off (Kara, 2020). There is nothing wrong with smartphones in themselves if students can
do that and still get something out of the class. But if it prevents students from concentrating in
class, that is a problem. Students check their phones in the classroom an average of more than 11
times a day (Kara, 2020). That can add up to a lot of time spent distracted from schoolwork. And
when students are distracted, it is a way for extra stress, frustration, and catch-up time for
everyone. Imagine how distracted we would be if someone within earshot is talking about us and
referring to us by name, that is what smartphones do to our attention (Kara, 2020). Therefore the
more dependent people are on their phones, the stronger the distraction effect, according to the
research. The reason is that smartphones occupy in our lives what is called a "privileged
attentional space" like the sound of our own names. As a Result, while a silent or even turned-off
phone distracts as much as a beeping or ringing one, it also turns out that a smartphone making
notification alert noises or vibrations is as distracting as actually picking it up and using it,
according to a study by Florida State University (Kara, 2020). Even short notification alerts can
prompt task-irrelevant thoughts, or mind-wandering, which has been shown to damage task
performance. Study found a causal link between lower test scores and the uses of cellphones and
laptops. The study suggested students were wrong to believe they could divide their attention
between technology and class lectures, as technology impairs their ability to retain information
from the class (Kara, 2020). Although many teachers choose to use YouTube for educational
PERPESES to enhance their lessons, students can easily see YouTube as a classroom distraction.
Because YouTube allows users to see suggested videos that might not be related to their current
video, when a teacher is done showing a video to the class, students might see other videos that
PIKAY their interest and draw attention away from the lesson, causing them to talk to each other
or go on YouTube on their own devices (Kara, 2020). As a result, using smartphones in class
leads to a big distraction noting that smartphones could be used for cheating as well, and are a
huge disturbance to teachers and peers. When it comes to cell phones in class, many people will
be distracted.

Kara, S (2020). Letting smartphones at class times: Does it matter in learning

process? International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 7(1), 78-87.

Retrieved from doi: http://dx.doi.org.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:2048/10.23918/ijsses.v7i1p78