Cell phone use and grade point average among undergraduate university students.

The present study examined whether cell phone use frequency is correlated with academic performance as measured by grade point average among undergraduate university students. Participants completed a survey about their cell phone use and also reported their grade point average. Results revealed that text messaging frequency was negatively correlated with grade point average and variables such as academic level while cell phone call frequency was not. The results of this study suggest that the more an individual sends or receives text messages, the lower his or her grade point average typically is. Surprisingly, individuals with higher grade point averages are more comfortable text messaging in class. No significant results were found in regards to individuals placing phone calls on cell phones. Key words: Cell Phone Use Frequency, Text Messages, Cell Phone Calls, Grade Point Average (GPA) Introduction Since the commercialization of cellular phone technology by Motorola in the early 1980s, the use of this communication device has rapidly increased. Studies on the impact of using a cell phone while driving or simultaneously engaging in other motor activities of a similar nature are common (Strayer, Drews, & Johnston, 2003; Drews, Pasupathi, & Strayer, 2008; Charlton, 2009; Hyman, Boss, Wise, McKenzie, & Caggiano, 2010), but research investigating the influence of cell phone use in other domains is surprisingly sparse. One area of particular interest which seems underrepresented in the literature regarding cell phone use is the impact of this communication device in academic settings. Because teens aged 13-17 and young adults aged 18-24 are overwhelmingly the most prolific groups of cell phone users (NielsenWire, 2010), it is plausible that their level of cell phone use may have a significant effect on their academic performance. An analysis of data gathered recently by the Nielsen Company revealed that young adults aged 14-18 exchange an average of 1,630 text messages per month, or approximately 54 messages per day (NielsenWire, 2010). Additionally, in regards to cell phone use in educational settings, the Pew Research Center found that in spite of the fact that many schools prohibit the use of cell phones, 65% of students who attend schools that ban cell phones still bring them every day and 43% of students reported that they text message in class at least once per day (Pew Internet, 2010). These findings led us to question whether or not a student's overall frequency of cell phone use impacts his or her overall academic performance, as measured by a student's grade point average (GPA). Past research has suggested that cell phone use frequency may have a negative effect on academic performance (Ellis, Daniels, & Jauregui, 2010; Sanchez-Martinez & Otero, 2009). For instance, one study found that frequent cell phone use was related to school failure among high school students (Sanchez-Martinez & Otero, 2009). In another study, an experiment was conducted in a university class to reveal that text messaging on cell phones during class causes lower academic test scores among undergraduate students (Ellis, Daniels, & Jauregui, 2010). Finally, a study by End, Worthman, Mathews, & Wetterau (2010) found that students who experience a cell phone intrusion are often unable to identify the lecture material discussed during the disruption and suggested that these intrusions could potentially impair the learning process. Although these studies provide important insights, the present study examined how frequency of cell phone use is related to overall academic performance as measured by grade point average (GPA) among undergraduate university students. Based on previous findings examining cell phone use and academic performance mentioned above, we hypothesized that cell phone use frequency and the degree of comfort using cell phones in class would be negatively correlated with academic performance. …