Literature Review

Presently mobile phone is also used as a tool of entertainment along with communication.
Most of the students use mobiles for setting alarm, giving missed calls to intimate classmates and
make calls for family communication (Nawaz & Ahmad, 2012). This has a positive impact of mobile
usage on students’ peer and family relationships. Young generation maintains their social
connections with mobile phone which is its positive usage towards the organization of social links.
Mobile phone calls are considered costly as compared to the SMS in the developing world.
The users especially students rely on messaging services to communicate with peers and family.
The SMS text messaging increases the tendency among students to adopt non-standard uses and
contracted forms of English words in their classwork, examinations and research reports especially
in an academic environment.
Most of the students use mobile internet services for course related reading and research
needs. They use it at the University Library’s Digital Lab Unit as well as their departments and
homes. Google as a search engine and Yahoo as an email service are the most popular web tools
among students. A study shows that students are making use of the internet for course related
reading and research needs. Only one-fourth students use it for the entertainment purpose (Bashir,
Mahmood & Shafique, 2008). This trend is opposite to the general perception of the internet use in
Pakistan which is attributed to entertainment.

Impact of Mobile Phone on Writing Skills

The new digital environment presented an exceptional array of possibilities for
communication, interaction and information retrieval at the fingertips that was never before
available (Ling, 2004). While cell phone expansion is happening at ‘breath-taking speed’ (Geser,
2004), the use of messages through cell phones is also getting popular rapidly.
Yousaf and Ahmad (2013) found that the higher the exposure to the SMS, the more the
negative effect on the writing skills of the university students. The manner people converse and
write has been influenced by the text messaging. Their study also revealed that SMS texts are
written by ignoring spellings, intentionally or reflexively. The accepted credence is that texting has
developed as a twenty-first-century trend as a highly idiosyncratic vivid style, full of contractions
and out of the ordinary uses of language used by an immature generation that doesn't worry about
standards.

University of Peshawar is a popular and widespread university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

(KP). Almost all the students use mobile phones. The increasing trend of mobile phone usage
especially among the students demands to investigate the positive and negative impact of mobile
phone usage on their studies. This study contributes to literature in two ways: first giving insight to
parents about the hazards of mobile phone usage and second by giving information to students to
avoid short messaging on mobiles as it is negatively influencing their writing skills.

References
Bashir, S., Mahmood, K., & Shafique, F. (2016). Internet use among university students: a survey in
University of the Punjab, Lahore. Pakistan Journal of Information Management & Libraries
(PJIM&L), 9(1). 49-65.
Bakhsh, M., Mahmood, A., & Sangi, N. A. (2017). Examination of factors influencing students and
faculty behavior towards m-learning acceptance: An empirical study. The International
Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 34(3), 166-188.
Chung, C. Y., Sheu, J. P., & Chan, T. W. (2003). Concept and design of ad hoc and mobile
classrooms. Journal of computer assisted Learning, 19(3), 336-346.
Dansieh, A. S. (2011).SMS texting and its potential impacts on students’ written communication
skills. International Journal of English Linguistics, 1(2), 222-229.
Faulkner, X., & Culwin, F. (2004). When fingers do the talking: A study of text messaging. Interacting
with computers, 17(2), 167-185.
Geser, H. (2004). Towards a sociological theory of the mobile phone. In A. Zerdick, K.
Schrape, J. C. Burgelmann, R. Silverstone, V. Feldmann, C. Wernick, & C. Wolff. (Eds.), Emerging
media: Communication and the media economy of the future. (pp. 235-260).
USA: Springer.
Goldstuck, A. (2006). The hitchhiker’s guide to going mobile. The South African handbook
of cellular and wireless communication. Cape Town: Double Storey Books.
Ling, R., & Helmersen, P. (2000, June). “It must be necessary, it has to cover a need”: The adoption of
mobile telephony among pre-adolescents and adolescents. Paper presented at Conference
on the Social Consequences of Mobile Telephony, Oslo Norway..
Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phone’s impact on society. USA: Morgan
Kaufmann.
Matthews, R. (2004). The psychosocial aspects of mobile phone use among adolescents. Psych, 26,
16-19.
Nawaz, S., & Ahmad, Z. (2012). Statistical study of impact of mobile on student’s life. IOSR Journal
of
Humanities and Social Science (JHSS), 2(1), 43-49.
Netsafe – The Internet Safety Group. (2005). The text generation: Mobile phones and New
Zealand youth. Auckland: Netsafe.
Ravichandran, S. (2009). Mobile phones and teenagers: Impact, consequences and concerns -
parents/caregivers perspectives. Masters Dissertation. Unitec Institute of Technology, New
Zealand.

Russell, L. (2010). The effects of text messaging on English grammar.

Available:http://www.ehow.com/list_5828172_effects-text-messaging-englishrammar.
html (April 20, 2010).
Srivastava, L. (2005). Mobile phones and the evolution of social behaviour. Behaviour &
Information Technology, 24(2), 111-129.
Shaikh, A., & Karjaluoto, H. (2015). Mobile banking adoption: A literature review. Telematics and
Informatics, 32 (1), 129-142.
Williams, S., & Williams, L. (2005). Space invaders: The negotiation of teenage boundaries
through the mobile phone. The Sociological Review, 53(2), 314-331.
Yousaf, Z. & Ahmad, M. (2013).Effects on SMS on writing skills of the university students in
Pakistan (A case study of University of Gujrat). Asian Economic and Financial
Review,3 (3), 389-397.
 LITERATURE REVIEW

This study reviewed related literature from books, journals, and internet; organized under

the following sub-headings:

i. Meaning and Concept of Mobile Phone

ii. Student Performance

iii. Impact of Mobile Phones on Students’ Performance

iv. Review of Related Literature.

2.1 Meaning and Concept of Mobile Phones

A mobile phone is a phone that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link

while moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network

provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. In

addition, modern phones also support wide range variety of other services such as text

messaging, MMS, e-mail, internet access, short range wireless communications (Infrared,

Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography. (Pew Research center, 2010)

The use of technology is a global imperative due to its contributions to human existence

and has enhanced the socio economic relations globally. Wireless communication has emerged

as one of the fastest diffusing media on the planet, fuelling an emergent “mobile youth culture”

(Castells, Fernandez-Ardevol, Qiu, and Sey, 2007). Thus, increased popularity of cell and smart

phones in recent years has attracted research attention. Cell phones are seen as a mixed blessing.

Teens say phones make their lives safer and more convenient. Yet they also cite new tensions

connected to cell phone use (Pew Research Center, 2010).

 As cell phones have become more available, they are increasingly owned and used by

teens. Further, as handsets become more loaded with capabilities ranging from video

recording and sharing, to music playing and internet access, teens and young adults have an

ever-increasing repertoire of use. Indeed, we are moving into an era when mobile devices are not

just for talking and texting, but can also access the internet and all it has to offer (Pew Research

Center, 2010).

2.2 Student Performance

Students academic gain and learning performance is affected by numerous factor

including gender, age, teaching faculty, students schooling, father/guardian social economic

status, residential area of students, medium of instructions in schools, tuition trend, daily study

hour and accommodation as hostelries or day scholar. Many researchers conducted detailed

studies about the factors contributing student performance at different study levels. Graetz

(1995) suggested “A student educational success contingent heavily on social status of student’s

parents/ guardians in the society. Considine and Zappala (2002) noticed the same that parent’s

income or social status positively affects the student test score in examination. According to

Minnesota (2007) “the higher education performance is depending upon the academic

performance of graduate students. Durden and Ellis quoted Staffolani and Bratti, (2002)

observed that “the measurement of students previous educational outcomes are the most

important indicators of students future achievement, this refers that as the higher previous

appearance, better the student’s academic performance in future endeavours.

Lot of studies have been conducted in the area of students achievement and these studies identify

and analyze the number of factors that affect the academic performance of the student at school,

college and even at university level. Their finding identify students’ effort, previous schooling,
parent’s educational background, family income, self motivation of students, age of student,

learning preferences and entry qualification of students as important factors that have effect on

student’s academic performance in different setting. The utility of these studies lies in the need to

undertake corrective measures that improve the academic performance of graduate students.

It is generally assumed that the students who showed better or higher performance in the

starting classes of their studies also performed better in future academic years at degree level.

Everyone can be surprised with this assumption if it could be proved scientifically. From the last

two decades it has been noticed significantly that there is great addition in research literature and

review material relating to indicators of academic achievement with much emphasis on this

dialogue, whether traditional achievement measures of academic performance are best

determinants of future academic gain at university or higher level or innovative measures.

However, it is also observed that many of the researchers are not agree with this view point or

statement. Reddy and Talcott (2006) looks disagree with these assumptions that future academic

gains are resolute by preceding performance. In their research on the relationship between

previous academic performance and subsequent achievement at university level, they found that

students learning or studying at graduate level and the score secured did not predict any

academic achievement at university level. They also cited Pearson and Johnson (1978) who

observed that on the whole grade association of only 0.28 between graduate level marks and

university degree achievement.

It is also confirmed in the study of Oregon State University (2003) on graduate admissions that

normal measures of educational potential and academic performance such as high school GPA

(Grade Point Average) scores showed only 30% of the deviation in initial or starting (first) year
at college. It is important to note that even these studies do not agree with the former studies who

explored that previous achievement affect the future performance of the students in studies, they

confirmed that the admission scores are related to academic performance at university level but

to a very minimal extent. McDonald et.al (2001) also suggested that the scores of graduate level

studies still out perform any other single measure of cognitive aptitude in predicting success at

university level.

Parent’s socio-economic condition, which includes parents’ academic and professional

qualification, revenue and occupational affiliation, is also associated with academic gain of

students. The results of many studies confirmed that academic achievement of students is

contingent upon parent’s socio-economic condition. So the students belonging from higher social

economical backgrounds will perform better than other students associated with low social

economic backgrounds. “Social and economical status of student is generally determined by

combining parents’ qualification, occupation and income standard” (Jeynes, 2002). Among many

research studies conducted on academic achievement, it is not very surprising to observe that

Socio-economic status is one of the main elements studied while predicting academic

performance.

Graetz (1995) conducted a study on socio-economic status of the parents of students and

concluded that the socio economic background has a great impact on student’s academic

performance, main source of educational imbalance among students and student’s academic

success contingent very strongly on parent’s socio economic standard. Considine and Zappala

(2002) also having the same views as Graetz (1995), in their study on the influence of social and

economic disadvantage in the academic performance of school students noticed, where the
parents or guardians have social, educational and economical advantage definitely strengthen the

higher level success in future. But it is also noted that these parents make available sufficient

psychological and emotional shore up to their children by providing good educational and

learning environment that produce confidence and the improvement of skills needed for success.

On other hand Pedrosa et.al (2006) in their study on social and educational background pointed

out those students who mostly come from deprived socio-economic and educational background

performed relatively better than others coming from higher socio-economic and educational area.

They named this phenomena educational elasticity. It is obvious and true that the criteria for

categorizing socio-economic standard in different countries are different depending of their

norms and values. The criteria for low socio-economic status for developed country will be

different from the criteria of developing nations and same will be in the case of developing and

under developing countries. “The total income of families, monthly or annually and their

expenditures also put a great effect on the learning and academic opportunities accessible to

youngsters and their chances of educational success. Furthermore, he also pointed that due to

residential stratification and segregation, the students belonging to low-income backgrounds

usually attend schools with lower funding levels, and this situation reduced achievement

motivation of the students and high risk of educational malfunction in future life endeavors”

(Escarce, 2003).

Considine & Zappala (2002) observed that children comes from those families having low

income make known more subsequent models in terms of learning outcomes; low literacy level,

low retention rate, problems in school behaviour and more difficulty in their studies and mostly

display negative attitude towards studies and school. The view point of Considine and Zappala is
more strengthen by this statement of Eamon, According to Eamon (2005) “Those students

usually come out from low socio-economic status or area show low performance in studies and

obtained low scores as compared to the other students or their counter parts”.

It is also assumed that children learning outcome and educational performance are strongly

affected by the standard and type of educational institution in which students get their education.

The educational environment of the school one attends sets the parameters of students’ learning

outcomes. Considine and Zappala (2002) quoted Sparkles (1999) showed that schools

environment and teachers expectations from their students also have strong influence on student

performance. Most of the teachers working in poor schools or schools having run short of basic

facilities often have low performance expectations from their students and when students know

that their teachers have low performance expectations from them, hence it leads to poor

performance by the students. Kwesiga (2002) approved that performance of the students is also

influenced by the school in which they studied but he also said that number of facilities a school

offers usually determine the quality of the school, which in turn affect the performance and

accomplishment of its students. Sentamu (2003) argue that schools influence educational process

in content organization, teacher and teaching learning and in the end evaluation of the all. All

these educationists and researchers agreed with this principle that schools put strong effect on

academic performance and educational attainment of students.

Students from elite schools are expected to perform good because they attend these elite schools

and the main reason behind is that these schools are usually very rich in resources and facilities.

Some researchers have the view that school ownership and the funds available in schools do

indeed influenced the performance of the student. Crosne and Elder (2004) noticed that school
ownership, provision of facilities and availability of resources in school is an important structural

component of the school. Private schools due to the better funding, small sizes, serious

ownership, motivated faculty and access to resources such as computers perform better than

public schools. These additional funding resources and facilities found in private schools

enhance academic performance and educational attainment of their students. It is also very

pleasing that students from Govt schools colleges and universities in Punjab Pakistan are

providing the laptops by the Punjab Government, so that the students could interact with the

whole world and know about the latest developments and innovations.

2.2 Impact of Mobile Phones on Students’ Performance

Apart from the negative effect through the usage of these phones by the students, it

also have some other effects; which maybe psychological. The addictive nature of cell

phones has concerned psychologists for years.

Recently, psychologists have warned that phone users are especially at risk of becoming

addicted to their devices. In a recent study by Wargo, (2012), the subjects checked their phones

34 times a day. People may check their phones out of habit or compulsion, but habitually

checking can be a way to avoid interacting with people. Some people can experience withdrawal

symptoms typically associated with substance abuse, such as anxiety, insomnia, and depression,

when they are without their phones and all these are embedded to the course of academic relapse

of students who fall into this category. Surprisingly, these addictions take strong toll on the

student without them noticing it and some of them find it hard to believe that they are addicted to

their phones. Thus, giving more credence to the amount of time meted out to these phones than

academics. Chóliz, (2010) pointed out that excessive use of and dependency on the cell phone
may be considered an addictive disorder. In order to address some of the issues attached to cell

phones researchers chose different area of interest and teasing them out.

Theory on adolescent egocentrism, pointed out heightened self-consciousness during

adolescence. The theory adolescent egocentrism stated that it is a stage of self-absorption where

the world is seen only from one's own perspective. Thus adolescents are highly critical of

authority figures, unwilling to accept criticism, and quick to find fault with others.

Adolescent egocentrism helps explain why teens often think they are the focus of everyone

attention. Also, adolescence is a time of considerable physical and psychological growth and

change, which falls in line with the study of the student in the secondary Schools being

examined, on cell phone usage and acquisition among other. Most students like to keep

track ahead of their peers or to have an ontological balance in their peer group which

they find themselves. At the expense of their notions, they try to live the life which is expected

of them in the social settings which they find themselves instead of the ideal life; thereby

pushing them to the limit.

It was observed that most of the students using the Internet enabled phones get to pay

some bills at the end of the month, which is however paid with the little monthly allowance

money given to them by their sponsors or parent for upkeep in school and their studies. Some go

as long as to upgrade their phone, by buying the current ones and selling of the old ones at a

giveaway price or “trunking” as the word is widely used, just to meet up with the current trend.

(Elkind, 1967).

These ostentatious mode of using and disposing of mobile phones especially, the internet

enabled phones at will, in order to be abreast of current trends may inhibits the student from
focusing on their academics and allowing them to do better in their studies which is

their primary target as students in the secondary schools. Their academic performance is a

fulcrum for their future roles and the roles that will be vested upon them by their predecessors as

the new generations.

In an attempt to discuss about the issue of this topic on mobile phones and its impact on

students performance, personal observations has been seen among student using the phones for

visiting social platform, such as the Facebook, Twitter, 2go, Myspace and instant messengers

(yahoo messengers, msn messengers and blackberry pinging instant messengers) especially the

internet enabled ones, during academic periods and off academic periods indicating that

the internet phones have a strong effect on the students. Calling to mind the judicious gap which

has been mended by technology, it should be noted that the usage of phones are not intended for

negative purpose and influence; however, the attitude and time channeled towards these devices

has enslaved the student, thereby making them addicts, Also, they affirmed that young people

between 15 and 19 admitted being addicted to their cell phones (Naval, Sádaba and Brigué,

(2004). Also, British scientists noted that more and more people are getting addicted to their cell

phones, causing stress and irritability (BBC, 2006). While specialists indicate that the abuse of

the use of cell phones could be typified as ‘a disorder of addiction that has to be stopped as

soon as possible’ (Paniagua, 2005). Reawakening, to the recalcitrant mode of the student

academic prowess in the academic ‘world’ there is a need to address the students prerogative

in the society which serves as issues in empowering them towards helping to the

development of the society which also address the issue of gender equality, if we are

looking towards positive changes in the society and development.

2.3 Review of Related Literature

 Some of the common mobile phone related research topics include cell phone use
while driving (Caird, Willness, Steel, and Scialfa, 2008; Horrey and Wickens, 2006;
McCartt, Hellinga, and Braitman, 2006), cell phone etiquette (Lipscomb, Totten, Cook,
and Lesch, 2007), cell phone cultures and behaviors (Campbell and Park, 2008; Bakke,
2010; Ling, 2004), text messaging (Pettigrew, 2009), health risks from cell phone
radiation. Some other studies reported that the presence of cell phones provide a higher sense of
security in potentially harmful situations. This has contributed to an increase in cell phone
value, leading cell phone users to perceive cell phones as a must-have tool (Nasar, Hecht,
and Wener, 2007; Walsh et al., 2008). The use of Mobile Phones has also been addressed with
other focuses, such as enhancing Academic performance in Distance Education. Jean-Marie,
Viljoen and Carl, (2009). On Semen Analysis in men attending infertility Clinic: an
observational study. During the study, their objective was to investigate the effect of cell phone
use on various markers of semen quality, and in their conclusion stated that "Use of cell phones
decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and
normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily
exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality" Costly Cell Phones: The
Impact of Cell Phone Rings on Academic Performance. During the study, "Findings indicated
that cell phone rings during a video presentation impaired academic performance" (Ashok, End,
Worthman, Mathews, and Katharina, 2008).

However, this study therefore seeks, to find out the impact of the use of mobile phones on
students performance. Taking students of secondary schools as case study at both private and
public secondary schools.

The study was carried out in order to understand and bring to fore if the students’ academic
performance is affected due to the time channelled to the phone during class hours which
has a general perception as a medium of distractions to students. The retrieval of the
information gotten from this study was done with structured questionnaires administered to
200 students to obtain their personal opinions, while 15 in-depth interviews were conducted to
have a grounded knowledge opinions of the students simultaneously with the data
gathered during the course of this study. The analysis of the students’ perception showed
 that the internet enabled phone usage does not affect the academic performance of the students
but distractions by the usage of phone were notably admitted.

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