Smartphone Addiction and its Relationship to Learning and Behavioral Difficulties among Primary School Children in Tikrit City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/jfa.conf.10.5.21Keywords:
Smartphone Addiction, Learning Difficulties, Behavioral Problems, Primary School, Tikrit CityAbstract
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of smartphone addiction among primary school-going children and its association with behavior problems and learning difficulties. This study also attempted to explore the above-mentioned associations and the role of gender and grade level, which are demographics.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The target population was 250 male and female pupils aged 9 to 12 years, in grades 2 to 6, from Tikrit City between January and May 2024. A structured questionnaire consisting of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV), behavior scale, and learning difficulty checklist was used to collect data. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Chi-Square tests to examine the association between the variables.
Results: The results revealed a strong and significant correlation between the extent of smartphone addiction and psychosocial/behavioral problems, as well as learning difficulties. Based on the results, it was observed that the grade level of the pupil was found to be the most significant factor in all aspects of addiction, behavioral problems, and learning difficulties. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between males and females in most of the areas. The results revealed that the problems related to the smartphone addiction escalate with every passage from one level of grades to another among the pupils throughout their school-going life. Conclusion: The conclusion is that the smartphone addiction is a serious threat to the behavioral and cognitive development of the pupils of the elementary school. The findings underscore that prevention and intervention efforts should prioritize the age and developmental stage as a key factor, given its crucial role in determining the severity of these problems
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