Role of Policy in the Management of Smartphones among Undergraduates in Nigeria Higher Institutions of Learning

Abstract

Smartphones have become a necessity in today’s world. Majority of our undergraduate students make use of their smartphones to take notes in their classes, do assignments and other class related works. Studies and observations have shown that students use their smartphones for other activities like online frauds, visit to sites that can corrupt their minds and even waste their precious time on video watching, streaming and downloading of inappropriate materials and films that are injurious to them which eventually have a negative impact on their studies. In view of the aforementioned, the formulation of policies to guide the management of smartphones by undergraduate students in our higher institution of learning is therefore very germane at this time. It has been postulated that Policy makers should ban the use of smartphones among the undergraduate students in our higher institutions of learning but some other concerns are of the opinion that it should not be banned but regulated. Customized tabs with WIFI capabilities should be provided to enable students to go online for their research activities and classes thereby restricting them to their academics and prohibiting them from accessing forbidden sites. Institutional customized tabs will block some harmful materials and prevent them from unnecessary sites. Institutions should also allocate fixed megabytes to students for their educational programs. This will inculcate discipline into the minds of the students and make them to use their online allocations for necessary things.