Student computer and cell phone use and academic achievement among students in Vojvodina

Abstract

Modern information and communication technologies (ICT) are a pervasive phenomenon in the lives of today's children and young people, and are also increasingly being used in education. Data regarding the effect of young people's ICT use on their academic achievement have been contradictory, and in Serbia, only a few studies have so far been carried out. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to examine the extent and purpose of computer, cell phone and internet use among young people, to determine whether there is a relationship between these behaviors and young people's school grades, and to provide a description of young people's behavior on social networks, with particular reference to their potential exposure to the risks of digital communication. The sample consisted of a total of 1,814 eighth-grade primary school students and second, third and fourth-grade secondary school students in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia, 41% of whom were male and 56% female. The results show that young people spend much more time using cell phones than computers. As many as 36% of young people use cell phones more than two hours a day, while 11% spend an equal amount of time on computers. A quarter of respondents feel that their parents control the amount of time they spend using computers and cell phones. Over 90% have a social media account, which they use primarily to keep in touch with friends and relatives. The majority of respondents personally know the persons they are in contact with through social media and do not behave differently than in real life. The study also looks at differences in computer and cell phone use between genders and according to age, as well as its relationship to academic achievement. The results have been analyzed and discussed in the context of relevant research.