ADDICTION OF CELLULAR GADGETS AND BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS TOWARDS STUDIES

ADDICTION OF CELLULAR GADGETS AND BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS
TOWARDS STUDIES

A research
Presented to
The Research Committee of the Department of Information Technology
STI-Tagum
Tagum City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the course
Communication Arts 2

GLADYS GRACE CABAHUG
STEFFAN DODGE G. LESIGUEZ
JZEREL MIRASOL
AIKO G. SARADPON
JANINE FABE G. VIOVICENTE

March 2012

APPROVAL SHEET This thesis entitled ADDICTION OF CELLULAR GADGETS AND BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS TOWARDS STUDIES prepared and submitted by: AIKO G. SARADPON, JANINE FABE G. VIOVICENTE, GLADYS GRACE CABAHUG, JZEREL MIRASOL, STEFFAN DODGE G. LESIGUEZ, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course, Communication Arts 2 has been examined and hereby endorsed.

EXELSIS DEO A. DELOY Adviser

PANEL OF EXAMINERS Approved by the Research Committee on Oral Examination with a grade of _____.

ROXANNE T. BILBAO EXELSIS DEO A. DELOY Member Member

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis would not have been possible without the help of our group mates who in one way or another contributed their ideas and assistance in the preparation and completion of this study. We wish to thank, first and foremost, our parents who never leave us behind, who gave us financial and moral support, and who will always there when we are about to give up. We are indebted to our friends who were willing to help and give their best suggestions. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to our instructor, Sir Exelsis Deo A. Deloy, for his guidance and patience to us. Our sincerest thanks to all of you!

DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to our parents who have given us the opportunity of an education from the best institutions and support throughout life, for giving all our need during the time we make this research and for teaching us that any task, easy or difficult, can be done if we do it one step at a time. We also dedicate this thesis to our fellow classmates and students for giving us the courage to do such task. And for us, group mates, which we are able to finish what we have started.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING Background of the Study 1 Statement of the Research Problem 2 Significance of the Study 2 Definition of Terms 2
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE 4
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH ANALYSIS 7
CHAPTER 4: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Summary 9 Conclusion 9 Recommendation 10

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Background of the Study As we all know there has been great development in technology. This has resulted in invention of many gadgets and cellular phone is one of them. Despite of its usefulness, excessive use of this device has various negative impacts. Everyone is using the cell phone as their means of connecting the world, to play games, to watch videos, to listen to music and even for some, to use as an alarm clock! It is hard to believe but cell phone addiction in teenagers has become a major problem over the past few years. This addiction keeps teenagers and even children away from other activities that could go a long way in keeping them healthy. It has led to major issues with the educational system. Teenagers who suffer cell phone addiction felt uneasy and displayed abnormal behavior in case his or her cell phone went missing. In Cell Phone Addiction – Texting Addiction article (2011), in a wired world and a global economy, cell phones have become a virtual necessity for modern life. A Pew Research Center report found that 83 percent of Americans were cell phone users in 2011. According to “USA Today,” more than one-fourth of American households no longer have landlines and use cell phones exclusively. Inevitably, such a major change in society, especially one that has happened so rapidly – gives rise to concerns about the long-term consequences. It’s easy to dismiss such concerns as a stubborn resistance to change – but you may want to reflect on the nature of your cell phone use and whether or not you’ve been swept up into a socially acceptable, but potentially dangerous, cell phone and texting addiction.
Here in Philippines, the cellular phone is now the Filipinos’ digital device of choice. Consider that over 22 million Filipinos have cell phones; there are 6.7 million available landlines or wired telephones in the country but only half of these phones are subscribed; only five million Filipinos have access to the Internet; and there are only 1.53 million PCs in the country. Cell phones are popular because they are convenient, relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire. There ubiquity also has something to do with their capability to send and receive short messages (popularly called text messages).
Many people preferred to use their cell phones than using landlines or wired phones. They are unaware of how it changes their behavior as they continued using it. Cell phone addiction lends itself to isolation because it creates the illusion of meaningful connection to others, but nothing can replace face-to-face communication and actual, physical contact. People who are texting or talking on their phones while behind the wheel may lead them to accidents. Students don’t focus to their studies due to cell phone addiction. They preferred to face their phones than face their books. They were likely want to hang out than attending classes. Here in Tagum, not most of the students are addicted to cellular phones but addicted to Internets and online games. Scamming, cheating, lying and fantasizing are one of the most negative parts of having a cell phone. Many students are fooled by this, not knowing that it affects their daily lives and with their self-esteem.
Statement of the Research Problem This research study aims to determine and address the following questions:
1. What are the different changes in behavior caused by cellular gadgets addiction?
2. How much time does the person spend using the device?
3. How cell phone addiction becomes real?
4. Should parents ever foot the bill for their young children to have a cell phone?
5. What are the signs of being addicted to cellular gadgets?
Significance of the Study Students. This will help them to learn how to balance and manage their time, to curtail their use, to raise their self awareness and how to go on without their cell phones. Also, in order for them to know that education needed more importance than their cell phones. It can be a guide to them on how to control the usage of their cellular gadgets. Teachers. This will help them to understand the students better. By this study, they will come up on how to manage such students. After all, teachers had the power to restrict their students with the use of their cellular phones inside the class because they are obliged to monitor the behavior of the students. Parents. It will help them to control their children in making such decision in excessively using their cellular gadgets. Also, it’s for them to know the negative effects of using the cell phone regularly.
Definition of Terms Addiction of cellular gadgets. Addiction is characterized by an extreme preoccupation with a substance or behavior, followed by an increased tolerance and the presence of withdrawal symptoms if the addict loses access to the substance or isn’t able to indulge the behavior. In a clinical sense is any behavior in which a person becomes dependent to the detriment of an important part of their lives. Cell phone addiction, although not as deadly and bothersome as other forms of addiction, negatively impacts the lives of addicts and the people around them. It is categorized as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior of students towards their studies. Students displayed abnormal behavior like they are going to be paranoid whenever they would miss a call or text message. They encounter additional problems at their school because of their cell phone usage. They were likely to text than listening to the class. After all, classes for them are referred as bored activity so they were preferred to faces their phone than listens to the class.

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE According to Borkar (2012), many academics believe that there should be a banning of cell phones in school. They say that the disadvantages of carrying a cell phone outweigh the advantages. Here’s how. Distraction – along with the many applications available on a cell phone, an important one is that of texting. There is no guarantee that students will not text during class hours. Which along, with posing as a distraction, also affects their concentration on studies and thereby the overall learning process. Not only does the factor of distraction come into the picture in relation to students, but also in relation to teachers and the classroom in general. For example, when the phone starts ringing in class (or even if is on ‘vibration mode’), the teacher might lose his or her link of teaching and that will prove to be a major disadvantage for the entire class. Not to mention that it is extremely disrespectful for the teacher who is conducting the class. Illegal/Wrong Usage – the cell phone could turn into a potent device for some students. Instead of using it for academics and emergencies, some students might make unlawful use of its features – like that of the camera, and therefore bring the issue of school safety into the picture. They might click snaps that are not right, or record videos that are questionable in nature or call the school and report a bomb threat as a prank or to cancel classes. They may also use the phone to draw out other illegal activities like drug deals, thefts and the like. So also, if the phone is used extensively, it could lead to an extravagant bill. Cheating – having the Internet on the phone provides for an opportunity to cheat. Students can refer to the Internet for answers on a test, or they could text an accomplice for the answers. They could also photograph information from a textbook and use that to cheat in the test. Neither of these acts leads to any sort of education for the students, but on the other hand, discourages them from working hard. Hostility – sometimes, only the rich kids have cell phones. This can lead to a lot of social problems like hierarchy, jealousy, thefts, ragging and ridicule. This makes the adjustment process in school rather difficult. The pros and cons of carrying cell phones in school are many, and each of these comes with its own set of valid points. That is why; making a final choice becomes difficult. According to Gladen (2008), this revolutionary communication device has become a major professor pet peeve, because students just can’t seem to keep their hands off of them! Of course, text messaging is the main culprit. After all, it’s hard to imagine that your professor’s lecture is more interesting than what your friends have to say. Unfortunately, you really can’t pay full attention to your professor and your cell phone at the same time. According to the Cell Phone Addiction article (2008), teenagers seem most susceptible to addictions in general, but the ability to be in touch with their friends at all times can be a major drawback to a teenager having the use of a cell phone. None of us like to believe that we could be affected by any kind of addiction, but the fact of the matter is that addictions re not selective about who they affect, nor are they selective about the manner they affect us. According to Jinks (2009), can someone really be addicted to a cell phone, in the same way they may be addicted to alcohol or drugs? If you ask some parents, they believed their teenaged offspring could very well be addicted to their phones. Some have noticed changes in child’s behavior. They’ve seen their child become paranoid whenever they would miss a call or text message. They’ve watch their sons and daughters show signs of depression and apprehensiveness when they are unable to locate their phone. Many teenagers encounter additional problems at their school, at their work, or at home because of their cell phone usage. Not everybody is ready to refer to this problem as a “disease”, just yet. However, the number of clinics who are willing to treating this problem as they would alcoholism or drug addiction has increased. So what can parents do to help their children who suffer from this problem? The first thing that the teenager needs is structure and guidelines. Set times for when the cell phone must be turned off. Keep track of their usage. Make sure they are not misusing their phone privileges. And if problem gets out of hand, take them off of your current plan. You can switch them to a prepaid cell plan, which will help curb their usage. Keep in mind, trying to curb their usage may not always solve the problem. If all fails, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. According to Baxamusa (2011), more and more teens are becoming addicted to cell phones. These gadgets become their lives and they cannot live without their cell phones. Constant texting, calling friends, staying connected on social networking sites, clicking and uploading photos with their cell phones has become a way of life for most teens. Cell phones become a distraction for most teens and they tend to crave for better, higher-end models of cell phones. Most of them earn to pay for their cell phone minutes and therefore there is nothing much a parent can do about it. However, teaching kids to become responsible about cell phone usage from the start will help reduce these negative effects of cell phones on teenagers.
This is all about 'should kids have cell phones '. As you can see there are as many perils as well as boons of owning cell phones by kids. You should speak to your kids about cell phone etiquette and keep an eye on the way they use their cell phones. It may be very difficult to monitor their usage, yet you can make sure they do not spend a lot of time and money on their phones. If you feel your kid is ready to take on the responsibility of a cell phone, then go in for the basic model of cell phones for kids. There are many disposable cell phones available that you can buy for your kids. As they learn to become more and more responsible about their actions, you can think of giving them more freedom. Your kids will become independent once they get their cell phones. However, it is your responsibility to make sure they do not abuse their freedom with cell phones. Our teenagers are forced into situations that never existed in our youth. The cell phone enables them to reach out to parents, family or friends for assistance when they are confused, in peril or just need someone to listen. The cell phone can also be a disciplinary tool. Most teens have the addiction to cell phones as well as the necessity. Take away the addiction for even a few hours and you may be surprised how well the rules are adhered to when it is returned. Harrison (2010). My daughter does not seem to communicate anymore. She will sit and wait for a text with an answer from someone rather than just call the person and talk. I find this very disturbing because the teens do not seem to be able to communicate anymore without the use of text messaging, which I also personally feel, is the biggest cell phone aspect of addiction. Like some addictions such as smoking and drugs, cell phones have been added to this list. This is quite scary as a parent. I want to be able to keep in touch with my child when they are not home, yet I fear for the future of having a world with people who cannot talk to anyone. Springsteen (2009).

CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH ANALYSIS Cell phone addiction is one of the major problems nowadays. I can say that it really distracts the students having class or even studying with their cell phones beside them. As the Cell Phone article (2008) says that addictions are not selective about who they affect, nor they are selective about the manner they affect us. It is clearly understandable that only a person can choose whether they want to be addicted and affected, or not. It’s only the matter of discipline. Another problem that students affect their behavior of working hard at class is having an Internet at their cell phones or even mobile loads that lead them to cheat than studying well. Sometimes, cell phones are used to make a prank like texting that there is a bomb threat at your school that will cancel the class and oftentimes leads to distraction. Distraction is the most disturbing thing to the teachers. This makes them to be distracted by their lectures when the cell phone of the students is ringing especially at exams. Cell phones not only distract the teachers but also with the students that concentrate to the class or to their test papers. Yes, the cell phone is the main culprit but are we using it on a right way? Or we are using it for our satisfaction? We can answer this question by finding out how addicted we are and how it really affects us. Cell phones are not only targeting the students but also with the adults using it. Most of the adults now have cell phones even grandmas and grandpas have their own cell phones. Because of the best communication that the cell phone gives, most of us wanted to have one and having one fulfills our satisfaction. But this satisfaction brings to bad effects that we forget the real world, we let strangers enter our way that may bring us harm, we knowing unwanted persons behind texts like text mates and they give us thought of being bad, and we learn bad behaviors towards our attitudes that we are able to answer our parents or adults in bad manner and unrighteous way. In our days today, we live in a high-tech generation. That’s why teens today are very far different from the previous generation. More and more teens, especially students, are becoming addicted in cellular gadgets or cell phones. Some teens say that they cannot live without their cell phones. Other teens say that it makes life a lot more simple and safe. In this case, many academics today say that the disadvantage of carrying a cell phone outweigh the advantages. It gives bad effect in the behavior of student in their studies because it gives distraction that might lose the concentration. It also gives the opportunity to students to cheat, use it in unlawful activities and it can also give problem to the adjustment process in school.

CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
Addiction of cellular gadgets or cell phone worldwide affects the behavior of students towards their studies. As the Pew Research Center report, 83 percent of Americans were cell phone users in 2011. How much more in 2012? In the Philippines, over 22 million Filipinos have their own cell phones. Despite of the cell phone’s usefulness, it gives negative impacts in using it excessively. Students misspelled words, lack of knowledge in class, tardiness of finishing assignments or tasks, cheating during quizzes or exams and texting during class hours. This addiction keeps teenagers away from other activities that may bring them back to reality. Teenagers nowadays are dependent on the technologies or gadgets they have. Cell phones give bad influence and all wrong doings that teenagers must not have, especially students. They use the said gadgets for distraction, illegal/wrong usage, cheat and even hostility.
Conclusion
Cellular gadgets are a must-have tool for students in today’s generation. Some were likely to depend heavily on the cellular gadget for maintaining their social relationships. The cell phone has also contributed to younger people becoming more financially dependent on their parents. The use of the cell phone while driving has taken lives of many teenagers. Public manners among the frequent cell phone users have been questioned. Obsession to text messaging has created issues especially among teenagers. The cell phone has already become an indispensable tool in the modern society. Future research that focuses on the impact of the cell phone in relation to behavioral, social and personality development among younger generations are strongly needed. Teenagers or students don’t know how to live without it in just few minutes. They intended to use this gadget for their own wants. They displayed abnormal behavior when their phone is missing. Their level of anxiety increases as they continue using the said gadgets. Cellular gadgets affects the behavior of students towards their studies in such a way that they won’t listen to the class, they cheat, they often text than doing home works, they answer in bad manner towards adults or even their parents and they became clueless of what is the real world is and how it really affects their social relationships to their friends and family. This lends itself to isolation because it creates the illusion of meaningful connection to others.
Recommendation
In order to overcome this problem of cellular gadget addiction, there is need to regularly monitor its usage, keep a track of the time that you spend talking and messaging. Try using other things to serve your needs such as notepad to jot down anything and a watch for monitoring time. The major reason for cell phone usage is to be with any other person. The usage can be reduced if you be with that person instead of conversing over the cell phone. Focusing on the person conversing to you is also very important and in order to do this you should keep your cell phone away when carrying out one on one conversation, this is essential for retaining people’s respect. There is a need to believe that exchanging text messages continuously on your cell phone is not the only way to enhance and make your social contacts, instead it unnecessarily increases your level of anxiety. Another thing that can be done is to turn off the cell phone at night as it is not necessary to be used while sleeping. In order to get over this addiction, there should be some time bounds to use gadgets. Getting dependent on them is harmful. We will have to learn to balance and manage time. It is important to have a balance between our different engagements such as time spent with family and friends, office work, proper rest as well on gadgets. Curtail your use at class hours. Keep in your mind that education needs more importance than your cell phones. Learn when to text and when to study. If you are studying or in the middle of the class, turn off your cell phones, this will lessened your distraction.

REFERENCES

Baxamusa, B. (2011, September 28). Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Retrieved March 18,
2011 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/should-kids-have-cell-phones.html

Borkar, R. (2012, January 5). Cell Phones in School Pros and Cons. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-phones-in-school-pros-and-cons.html

Cell Phone Addiction (2008, May 12). Cell Phone Addiction? Retrieved March 9, 2011 from: http://www.articlebase.com/computers-articles/cell-phone-addiction-411578.html Cell Phone Addiction – Texting Addiction (2011, November 5). Cell Phone Addiction – Texting
Addiction article. Retrieved March 9, 2011 from: http://cellphoneaddiction.org/category/texting-addiction-problems/ Gladen, N. (2008, January 7). The Cell Phone. Retrieved March 9, 2011 from: http://naomi-rockler-gladen.suite101.com/college-student-study-distractions-a40475 Harrison, S. (2010, June 16). Have cell phones become a necessity or an addiction for teens?
Necessity. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.helium.com/debates/281375-have-cell-phones-become-a-necessity-or-an- addiction-for-teens/side_by_side

Jinks, J. (2009, May 19). Teens and Cell Phone Addiction. Retrieved March 9, 2011 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Teens-and-Cell-Phone-Addiction&id=3136619 Springsteen, C. (2009, November 17). Have cell phones become a necessity or an addiction for teens? Addiction. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.helium.com/debates/281375-have-cell-phones-become-a-necessity-or-an- addiction-for-teens/side_by_side

CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Data
Name : Gladys Grace C. Cabahug
Address : Purok Humabon Cuambogan, Tagum City
Date of Birth : April 28, 1993
Place of Birth : Cuambogan, Tagum City
Age : 18 years old
Mother’s Name : Delia Cabahug
Father’s Name : Edgardo Cabahug Sr.

Educational Background
Elementary : Catalan Elementary School 1999 – 2005
Secondary : La Filipina National High School 2005 – 2009
Tertiary : STI-Tagum

Personal Data
Name : Steffan Dodge G. Lesiguez
Address : Sison Subdivision, Tagum City
Date of Birth : September 2, 1993
Place of Birth : Davao Hospital
Age : 18 years old
Mother’s Name : Flordilin M. Garay
Father’s Name : Godofredo C. Lesiguez

Educational Background
Elementary : De La Salle John Bosco College 2001 – 2007
Secondary : De La Salle John Bosco College 2007 – 2009 Sto. Niño College of Science and Technology 2009 - 2011
Tertiary : STI-Tagum

Personal Data
Name : Jzerel P. Mirasol
Address : 5th Avenue Misa Dist. Tagum City
Date of Birth : August 12, 1993
Place of Birth : Davao Regional Hospital
Age : 18 years old
Mother’s Name : Maribel P. Mirasol
Father’s Name : Jeramir M. Mirasol

Educational Background
Elementary : Rizal Elementary School I 1999 – 2005
Secondary : Tagum City National High School 2005 – 2009
Tertiary : STI-Tagum

Personal Data
Name : Aiko G. Saradpon
Address : Prk. 1-Rizal, Canocotan Tagum City
Date of Birth : June 14, 1994
Place of Birth : Prk. 1-Rizal Canocotan Tagum City
Age : 17 years old
Mother’s Name : Dina Ado G. Saradpon
Father’s Name : Apolinar Saradpon

Educational Background
Elementary : Rizal Elementary School I 2001 – 2007
Secondary : Tagum City National High School 2007 - 2011
Tertiary : STI-Tagum

Personal Data
Name : Janine Fabe G. Viovicente
Address : #4 Quidilla Apart. Brgy. Magugpo West, Tagum City
Date of Birth : December 12, 1995
Place of Birth : Davao Regional Hospital
Age : 16 years old
Mother’s Name : Alma G. Viovicente
Father’s Name : Diego A. Viovicente

Educational Background
Elementary : Magugpo Pilot Central Elementary School 2001 - 2007
Secondary : North Davao College – Tagum Foundation Inc. 2007 - 2011
Tertiary : STI-Tagum

References: Baxamusa, B. (2011, September 28). Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/should-kids-have-cell-phones.html Borkar, R. (2012, January 5). Cell Phones in School Pros and Cons. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-phones-in-school-pros-and-cons.html Cell Phone Addiction (2008, May 12). Cell Phone Addiction? Retrieved March 9, 2011 from: http://www.articlebase.com/computers-articles/cell-phone-addiction-411578.html Cell Phone Addiction – Texting Addiction (2011, November 5). Cell Phone Addiction – Texting Addiction article Necessity. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.helium.com/debates/281375-have-cell-phones-become-a-necessity-or-an- teens? Addiction. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from: http://www.helium.com/debates/281375-have-cell-phones-become-a-necessity-or-an- Address : Purok Humabon Cuambogan, Tagum City Date of Birth : April 28, 1993 Address : Sison Subdivision, Tagum City Date of Birth : September 2, 1993 Address : 5th Avenue Misa Dist. Tagum City Date of Birth : August 12, 1993 Address : Prk. 1-Rizal, Canocotan Tagum City Date of Birth : June 14, 1994