Email this article Smartphone Distraction in Reading Activities: An Analysis of 10 Types and 12 Contributing Factors among EFL Students
This research aims to identify and analyze the types and factors of smartphone distractions among university students during reading activities. It focuses on how these distractions affect EFL students' reading activities. This research uses a mixed-method approach, specifically using an explanatory sequential design. Data were collected using a 66-item questionnaire distributed to first-year English Study Program students to measure the frequency of smartphone distraction types and levels of agreement on contributing factors. The questionnaire findings were elaborated by conducting semi-structured interviews with several students to strengthen them. A correlation was also conducted using Spearman's rho. These methods help to provide a clear explanation of student behaviors. The results successfully identified 10 types of smartphone distractions and 12 contributing factors that occur during reading activities. The data show that smartphone sounds are the most common distraction, and Emotion regulation is the dominant factor among students. The Spearman’s Rho test showed that smartphone distraction is related to most internal factors (especially Attention Impulsiveness and FoMO) as well as external factors (especially Ease of internet access and Design of smartphone). Emotional regulation and learning motivation did not show a significant correlation. Furthermore, these findings indicate that using smartphones for learning requires good self-control to reduce focus loss and improve reading comprehension. This research makes a useful contribution by developing an instrument to assess smartphone distractions in digital learning. It underscores the need for educators to develop strategies to help students control their reading or study habits. This is important so that students can use smartphones as an effective academic tool rather than a source of cognitive disruption. Lecturers can divide digital texts into smaller sections to reduce cognitive load and allocate a specific “notification-free” period at the start of the session. These strategies will help students achieve better academic outcomes.
Keywords: smartphone distractions, reading, EFL students, digital media, academic performance.
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