Proceedings of the 24th International Academic Conference, Barcelona

THE REFLECTIONS OF SMARTPHONE USE AND RECREATIONAL USE OF INTERNET BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEISURE BOREDOM AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

BEYZA MERVE AKGÜL, ALI SELMAN ÖZDEMIR, SUAT KARAKÜÇÜK

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between, on the one hand, smartphone and recreational internet use, and on the other hand, students’ academic success, life satisfaction and boredom in leisure time. The study sample contains 439 randomly selected high school students in Cankaya District, Ankara, Turkey. The questionnaire used to collect data is composed of five parts. These are the “Personal Information Form”, ‘’Smartphone addiction scale’, “Addiction Profile Index Internet Scan Form (BAPINT)”, ‘’leisure boredom scale’’ and ‘’life satisfaction scale’’. Frequency and percentage calculations, Pearson Correlations, multiple regression analysis and One-Way ANOVA test were utilized in the analysis .Consequently, it is observed that there is no meaningful difference between students’ perceived academic success levels in terms of their smartphone use, F(4, 434)= 2.32, p>0.05. However, it is determined that there is a meaningful difference between students’ perceived academic success levels with regard to their recreational internet use, F(4,434)=5.36, p<0.05. Scheffe test results reveal that students with ‘bad’ level of perceived academic success have higher recreational internet use than students with ‘good’ level of perceived academic success. It is observed that there is a positive, medium-level relationship (r=0.40, p<0.01) between high school students’ smartphone use and their use of internet for recreational purposes. While it is also observed that there is a positive, medium-level relationship (r=0.39, p<0.01) between high school students’ level of boredom in leisure time and their smartphone use; it is also found out that the relationship between students’’ level of boredom and recreational internet use is positive but weak. While it is seen that there is a negative and weak relationship (r=-0.16, p<0.01) between students’ life satisfaction levels and recreational internet use; it is also determined that relationship between students’ life satisfaction levels and smartphone use is negative and weak in a similar fashion (r=-0.20, p<0.01). Students’ recreational internet use, together with boredom in leisure time, shows a medium level and meaningful relationship with students’ smartphone use, r =0.49, R2=0.24, p<0.01. These variables, together, account for 24% of the total variance in smartphone use. In conclusion, it can be stated that recreational use of internet affects students’ academic success negatively. Besides, we can say that as level of boredom experienced by students in leisure time increases, so does addiction to smartphone and use of internet for recreation purposes. In turn, high level of smartphone and internet use negatively affects students’ life satisfaction levels.

Keywords: smartphone addiction, recreational use of internet, leisure boredom, academic achievement

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2016.024.002

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