A RESEARCH ON HOW SMARTPHONE ADDICTION CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT

THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF YEAR 1-4 RAFFLESIANS

By 1I group 5

• Smartphone usage affects many Rafflesians• Raise awareness of smartphone addiction• Findings can help generate methods on how

to curb smartphone addiction

Why we chose this topic

HOW THE SURVEY WAS DESIGNED• Not too many questions with quantitative

answers• Designed with indirect questions• 2 different surveys were created• Confidentiality was assured to the surveyees

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

HOW THE SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT• Distribution done on generally non-cca days• We went around requesting for people to do our

survey• We asked whether they owned a smartphone• We asked for their age• Choice of surveyees was random

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

Age Group

Number of Respondents

Percentage of Respondents

Year 1 5 25%

Year 2 5 25%

Year 3 5 25%

Year 4 5 25%

Total 20 100%

Smartphone user

Number of Respondents

Percentage of Respondents

Yes 20 50%

No 20 50%

Total 40 100%

Demographics

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 40%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Level

Percentage

Fig. 1: Respondents who observe friends using smartphones frequently

Survey Findings

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 40

0.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.5

Never1-2 hours2-6 hoursMore than 6 hours

Level

Numberof

Respondents

Fig. 2: Number of hours spent on their smartphone

Survey Findings

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 40%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Percentage who suffered a decrease academically

Level

Percentage

Survey Findings

Fig. 3: Percentage of respondents who suffered a academic decrease

• Many observed friends using smartphones regularly

• Most of the surveyees experienced a drop in academic grades

• Only 1 person did not use his smartphone• Co-relation between usage of smartphones

and academic results

Survey Analysis

Limitations and further research

LimitationsSample size only 20, too smallThere is no way of confirming reliability of

results.

Further Researchsurvey JC studentsResearch on the similar topic of computer

addiction

HOW THE QUESTIONS WERE DESIGNED• Questions are relevant to the subject at hand.• Questions were direct and to the point.• Questions require interviewee to draw from

personal experience.• Answers help on how to recognize, prevent and

curb addiction.

Interview Methodology

WAY THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED• 3 different teachers were emailed• Their replies did not come so Sheng Yeow’s

father, Si Cheng Choon, was interviewed.• Questions were not given beforehand• Multiple recorders were used.• The interview was casual and honest

Interview Methodology

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION:

RE_INTERVIEW REPORT_TRANSCRIPT_V2.doc.docx

Interview Findings

• HOW TO RECOGNIZE ADDICTION• Early teen years are the most prone to addiction.• starts to play at every opportunity.• Becomes agitated at well-meant advice.• Oblivious to the outside world while playing.• Finds ways around rules• Lies or gives sly answers regarding the topic

Interview Analysis

• CURBING OR SOLVING THE PROBLEM• Different solutions may work for students with different

backgrounds• Worst case-scenario the smartphone has to be

confiscated and the student bought a traditional phone.

• Whether the pros and cons outweigh each other or not, depends on the user himself.

Interview Analysis

Limitations and further research

LimitationsInterviewee did not possess best knowledge

of the matterCasual interviews bring up jokes that are

occasionally indiscernible from truth

Further ResearchInterview more experienced individualsResearch on addiction in a larger society

(e.g. Singapore Society)

• Our research on the how smartphone addiction enabled us to:

• identify the underlying problem.• raise our awareness about the problems.• present some possible solutions.

• The survey has helped us to:• get the big picture of addiction in Rafflesians.• Understand individual scenarios rather than just the

interviewee’s experience

• The interview has helped us to:• find out how to recognize that someone is addicted.• Provide solutions to the problems based on the experience

of the interviewee.

Conclusion