THE USE OF SMARTPHONE AMONG 1

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

One of the amazing inventions in the communication technology is smartphone. It

can function as both a computer and a mobile device. It can also be used to
communicate, entertain, and get information. On this consideration, this mini
research is aimed to investigate the use of smartphone among students in a private
Islamic school in Semarang, especially to find out how smartphones are used for
information, aid to learning processes. The result shows that most of junior high
school students use their smartphones for non-educative purposes. Chatting
through social media and accessing entertainment website dominate the use of
smartphone among the students. Besides, the tendency of accessing negative
contents occurs among junior high school students. The use of smartphones for
educational purposes takes fewer proportions. However, there is also a good
tendency to use smartphone to practice English through understanding the setting
of the smartphone and communicating in English in the social media.
Keyword: smartphone, Junior High School Students
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The Use of Smartphone

Among Junior High School Students
Today, communication technology has developed rapidly beyond our
imagination. Many inventions have changed the way people interact to others.
Ten years ago people might communicate to others who are in distance, only via
telephone. They could only hear others sound by telephoning. Nowadays, with
the invention of communication technology, people not only could hear others
voice during communication but also could see others face. Recent
communication technology makes it possible.
One of the amazing inventions in the communication technology is
smartphone. A smart phone is a device which has features of both a computer and
a mobile device (cell phone). Unlike a normal mobile device a smartphone has a
vast amount of both local storage and memory. Smartphones have operating units
like computers. Smartphones act as both mobile communication and
entertainment units where a user can communicate, play games, watch videos,
listen to music, update blogs, as well as audio and video blogging. That is why
this device is viewed as a great invention and had become a popular device.
On this consideration, this study is aimed to examine the use of
smartphone among students in one of private schools in Semarang. Specifically
this research wants to investigate how the effect of the use of smartphone to their
education.

Literature Review
GSM Association and the Mobile Society Research Institute within NTT
DOCOMO Inc, Japan (2013) conducted an international survey of the use of
mobilephone among children in five countries. Of the five countries surveyed,
Egypt has the highest proportion of children using a mobile phone (91%),
followed by Chile (79%), Indonesia (67%), Japan (57%) and India (35%) (Figure
1).
Lenhart, (2015) in Recent Pew Internet says that 88% of teens in US have
or have access to cell phones or smartphones and 90% of those teens with phones
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exchange texts. A typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day. Those teens are
not simply sending messages through the texting system that telephone companies
offer. Some 73% of them have access to social media such as Snapchat, Facebook,
Instagram or WhatsApp. Fully 33% of teens with phones have such apps. Teenage
girls use social media sites and platforms for sharing more than their male
counterparts do. For their part, boys are more likely than girls to own gaming
consoles and play video games.

Methodology
In order to collect the data to investigate the use of smartphone among
Junior High School students, 25 out of 64 eighth grader students were randomly
selected from a private Islamic Junior High School. The participants were chosen
on the basis of consideration that they had been familiar with the use of
smartphone and its facilities.
The data collection was gathered through questionnaire about smartphone.
It was conducted on 28 October 2016. Due to the small number of the
respondents, this research cannot be generalized to all junior high school students.
However, it can describe the trend and tendency of junior high students in using
smartphones.
When it came to the data analysis, the responds of the respondents were
then computed quantitatively. Later, the result will be interpreted to get more
detail understanding.

Finding and Discussions

According to the data obtained from the questionairs, the following data
can be infferred:
1. All participants (100%) have had smartphone more than 3 years.
2. 4 of 5 (80%) participants have smartphones without their inquiry.
3. 3 of 5 (60%) participants have 2 or more smartphones.
4. All participants (100%) felt ashamed if they do not have a smartphone.
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5. The price of their smartphones are more than 2 millions (100%).

6. All participants smartphones are double sim card (100%).
7. All participants have internet quota (100%).
8. All participants (100%) disagree the banning of smartphone at school.
9. All participants (100%) put their smartphone near their bedroom.
10. 1 of 5 participants parents (20%) check the smartphone.
11. 3 of 5 participants (60%) have more than 4 games in their
smartphones.
12. All participants (100%) have more than 4 or more social media.
13. 4 of 5 participants (80%) use English as their language setting.
14. All participants (100%) use their smartphones more than 4 hours after
school.
15. All participants (100%) never make a call conventionally.
16. All participants (100%) play social media 2-4 hours in a day on
weekdays and more than 8 hours on weekends.
17. 4 of 5 participant (80%) play games 0-2 hours on weekdays and 4-8
hours on weekends.
18. 2 of 5 participants (40%) have 1 education softwares on their
smartphones or access school materials using the smartphone.
19. 1of 5 (20%) participants ever access pornography contents through his
smartphone.
20. 2 of 5 (40%) participants have friends from aboard and use English to
communicate them.
According to the data gathered, it is obvious that the participants have
smartphones since they were in elementary schools. Unfortunately, they have the
smartphone not because they need it. They get it because their parents want it.
Since the participants come from wealthy family, it seems that their parents just
want to spoil them. Their parents facilitate them with smartphone just to entertain
them without consideration that it can give bad effect to their children. It is proven
when the finding shows that 100% of the respondents parents gave the
respondents smartphones without their inquiry. To make it worse, the respondents
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parents never checked how their children use their smartphone. it seems that
controlling the use of smartphone is not a big deal for the parents. They never
consider that smartphones can access any information from the internet, including
the inappropriate ones. The respondents have had their smartphones since they
were in elementary school, so they have opportunity to access anything beyond
their ages. It is shown that 1 of 5 respondents (20%) has ever access pornography
contents from his smartphone.
As teenagers, esteem need is an important pride. The respondents feel
accepted by their environment when they have something in common, including
smartphones. They will feel different from others or even being underestimated
when they dont have the thing commonly their friends have. This is what makes
them shy when they do not have smartphones. All participants (100%) proved this
notion. Fortunately, their parents have facilitated them with smartphones. It means
they do not have worries not to be accepted in their groups.
Dealing with communication trend among the teenagers, the respondents
indicate that they have been addicted to social media. All participants (100%)
exist in more than 4 social media. They have even left the conventional way of
distance communication, telephoning. They have been drowned in the digital
communication world. 100% of the respondents spend more than 3 hours in this
kind of communication. Even in weekdays they can spend more than 8 hours to
interact via social media.
Later, as entertainment device, smartphones have also made the
respondents addicted. 80 % of them have more than 4 games in their smartphones.
80 % of them spend 2-4 hours in weekdays and 4-8 hours in weekends a day to
play games in their smartphones. So, after arriving at home from school, they
mostly directly take their smartphone to play games. Perhaps it is caused by the
fact that the school banned them to bring and operate smartphone in during school
time. It is also supported by the fact that all participants (100%) disagree the
banning of smartphone at school. Also, after school their activities are mostly
using smartphones, such as having interaction through social media and playing
games.
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Finally, dealing with education, it is obvious that only few of them (40%)
use their smartphones to help them in study. Most of them (60%) prefer
socializing with friends or playing games to accessing school materials. Being at
home means having time to play with their smartphones. However, actually the
unconsciously have learned through their smartphones, especially in English
subject. It is shown by the respondents smartphone setting and their friends in
social media. 4 of 5 respondents (80%) use English as their smartphone language
setting. It means that they are practicing to use English terms in operating their
devices. Unfortunately, there are only 2 respondents (40%) have friend from other
countries. However, this is a good tendency that some of the respondents like to
have practice through authentic conversation in their interaction.

Conclusion and Suggestion

In accordance to data analysis it can be concluded that most of junior high
school students use their smartphones for non-educative activities, communication
and entertainment. To make it worse, the parents who give the devices do not
aware the negative effects might be caused by the smartphones. The tendency
accessing negative contents occurs among junior high school students. The use of
smartphones for educational purposes takes fewer proportions. However, there is
also a good tendency to use smartphone to practice English through understanding
the setting of the smartphone and communicating in English in the social media.
Finally, to optimize the use of smartphone among junior high school
students it suggested that parents control their childrens smartphone periodically.
For the teachers it is suggested to use their students smartphones as one of their
learning resources, such as installing digital dictionary, searching references, and
so forth. Parents and teachers (school) should also cooperate in controlling the use
of smartphones among the students. Thus, it is hopes that the use of smartphones
will give more positive effects to the students.
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Name :
Grade :

Questionnaire
The Use of Smartphone
Checklist your answer.
1. How long have you had your smartphone?
0 1 year 2- 3 years More than 3 years
2. How do you get your smartphones?
Asking parents Buy by yourself Given by parents
3. How many smartphones do you have?
01 2- 3 More Than 3
4. How do you feel if you do not have a smartphone?
Angry Ashamed Common
5. What is the price of your smartphones?
0 1 million 2- 3 millions More than 3 millions
6. Does your smartphone have 2 sim cards ?
Yes No
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7. Does your smartphone have internet quota?

Yes No
8. Do you agree the banning of smartphone at school?
Yes No
9. Where is your smartphone when you are sleeping?
Out of the bedroom In the bedroom
10. How often do your parents check your smartphone?
Often seldom never
11. How many games do you have in you smartphones?
02 3- 4 More than 4
12. How many social media do you have in you smartphones?
02 3- 4 More than 4
13. What language setting do you use in your smartphones?
Indonesian English Others
14. How long do you use smartphones after school?
0 2 hours 3- 4 hours More than 4 hours
15. How many times do you use your smartphone to make a call in a day?
02 3- 4 More than 4
16. How long do you play social media in weekdays?
0 2 hours 3- 4 hours More than 4 hours
17. How long do you play social media in weekends?
04 4- 8 More than 8
18. How long do you play games in weekdays?
0 2 hours 3- 4 hours More than 4 hours
19. How long do you play games in weekends?
04 4- 8 More than 8
20. How many education softwares do you have in your smartphones?
2 and more 1 0
21. How often do you access references for school materials using the
smartphone?
Often seldom never
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22. Have you ever accessed pornography contents through your smartphone?
Often seldom never
23. Do you have friend from abroad in your social media?
Yes No
24. What language do you use to communicate with them?*
Indonesian English Others

If the answer of questions number 23 is yes.