Gadgets: As a Cause of Low Grades of Students

I. Background of the Study:
Students nowadays use gadgets to help increase their grades. But what if these gadgets even help them lower their grades? I conducted a study to find out if students who use gadgets more often have lower grades than those students who use gadgets less frequently.

Gadgets have two effects to students: the positive effect and the negative effect. The positive effect is that it helps them with their studies by searching through the web, communicating, and entertainment. But if this entertainment goes too much, gadgets could cause a negative effect to students like sleeping late at night, not doing the assignments of projects and not focusing on lessons during class hours.

But games aren’t just the only possible cause of low grades. It also includes texting, social networking, and chatting online. According to one study, 50 percent of people who sleep with their phones on wake up in the middle of the night and check their phones. However, experts say that such practices may cause sleep deprivation. Now new research shows that excessive reliance on electronic gadgets (like cell phones and laptops) can actually hurt your academic performance. A recent study by researchers at The Miriam Hospital’s Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Providence, RI, shows that the use of such devices to text, watch online videos and post statuses on Facebook is associated with lower grade point averages. Almost all of the students own accounts at various social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

These sites may cause a negative effect on students if used too much or used frequently. A new study says that students who are on Facebook while studying or doing homework wind up getting 20 percent lower grades than students who don’t have the social networking site in visual range, or even running in the background on their computers or mobile phones. Though the psychologist said the study wasn’t about whether Facebook’s good or bad, but goes more to the stereotype that younger people are fluid multi-taskers —sending text message, listening to music, reading a book, all at the same time, for example — without any problems. Getting back to the gaming study, it’s emphasized that there isn’t necessarily something inherent in video games that negatively affects students. It’s an activity that detracts from time that could be spent on schoolwork. The students should spend more of their time reading educational books such as the Encyclopedia, World Atlas and the dictionary rather that spending time in front of their computers, cellular phones or laptops.

II. Objectives:
a. General Objectives:
The General objectives of this study is to find out if Student who use gadgets more often have lower grades than those students who use gadgets less frequently. b. Specifically:
1. What is the number of students from Grade 7 to Fourth year who uses these gadgets more frequently: a. Laptopc. Tablets
b. Cellphone
2. What is the number of students from Grade 7 to Fourth year who owns these social networking accounts: a. Facebookc: Instagram
b. Twitter
3. What is the number of students from Grade 7 to Fourth year who frequently uses gadgets with grades: a. P or Proficient (89-85)c. D or Developing (80- 75)
b. AP or Approaching Proficiency (84- 81) d. B or Beginning (74 and below) 4. What is the number of students from Grade 7 to Fourth year who uses gadgets within: a. 0-1 hour dailyc. 2-3 hours daily

b. 1-2 hours dailyd. more than 3 hours daily
Three Probable Problems:
a. Research problems that would like to pursue:
I would like to pursue the problems of some students who always get low grades even though they do not always spend much time with gadgets and the internet.

b. Facts, findings or research studies that have been reported concerning my identified problem: There are already many studies that tackled my topic and their study is proven like Adam Turner’s study “Young gamers get bad grades”, Eric Berger’s “Students who use cellphones more get lower grades”, and Katiann Marshall’s “Bad grades and sleep problems linked to excessive use of social media”.

c. My probable question that are related to my probable problem: What are some ways to prevent students in frequent use of gadgets? What are the other effects of gadgets other that having low grades? What are the other causes of low grades other than gadgets?

Reference List:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39038581/ns/technology_and_science-back_to_school/t/facebook-use-can-lower-grades-percent-study-says/#.VLIYUtKUeF0 http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2013/12/study-students-who-use-cellphones-more-get-lower-grades/ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/new-study-links-smartphone-use-in-students-with-increased-anxiety-and-bad-grades-8993945.html http://mountaineernewsservice.com/?p=5040

http://blogs.smh.com.au/digital-life/gadgetsonthego/2010/03/22/youngergamers.html