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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Apr 26;13(2):313-326.
doi: 10.1556/2006.2024.00014. Print 2024 Jun 26.

Problematic smartphone use and academic achievement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Adrian Paterna  1 , Manuel Alcaraz-Ibáñez  1 , Jose M Aguilar-Parra  1   2 , Carlos Salavera  3 , Zsolt Demetrovics  4   5   6 , Mark D Griffiths  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Problematic smartphone use and academic achievement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Adrian Paterna et al. J Behav Addict. .

Abstract

Background and aims: The present study aimed to synthesize existing quantitative evidence on the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and academic achievement with a focus on quantifying its magnitude and examining its potential moderators.

Methods: Eligible studies were searched for up to February 10, 2023 in six different databases (i.e., MEDLINE, Current Contents Connect, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dissertations & Theses Global). Studies were considered eligible if they provided information derived from self-report instruments that allowed statistical calculation of the relationship between PSU and academic achievement. Pooled effect sizes (r) were computed using a random-effects model. Meta-regressions were conducted to test the influence of study-level moderators on the relationship of interest. Influence analyses and a three-parameter selection model (3PSM) were conducted to examine the robustness of the results and publication bias, respectively.

Results: A total of 33 effect sizes from 29 studies (n = 48,490) were retrieved. Results showed a small effect size (r = -0.110), which tended to be larger in samples consisting of students from elementary and middle schools.

Discussion and conclusions: Findings from the present study contribute to the understanding of a potential determinant of decreased academic achievement by providing evidence that PSU may be one of them.

Keywords: human-computer interface; media in education; problematic smartphone use; smartphone dependence; smartphone addiction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Funding sources: MAI (UAL RRA202101) is funded by Ministerio de Universidades (Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia, Next Generation EU). ZD's contribution was supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (KKP126835).

Authors' contribution: AP and MAI designed the study, performed the systematic search and data extraction, completed all statistical analyses and initial drafts of the manuscript.

JAP, CS, ZD, and MDG contributed to the drafting of the manuscript and revisions. All authors assisted with drafting of the final version of the manuscript, including critical revisions for intellectual content.

Conflicts of interest: ZD is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. The other authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
PRISMA flow diagram of study
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Forest plot of the relationship between PSU and academic achievement
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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