Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: Correlation or Causal Relationship?

Arbeitspapier

After a decade of correlational research, this study is the first to measure the causal impact of (general) smartphone use on educational performance. To this end, we merge survey data on general smartphone use, exogenous predictors of this use, and other drivers of academic success with the exam scores of first-year students at two Belgian universities. The resulting data are analysed with instrumental variable estimation techniques. A one-standard-deviation increase in daily smartphone use yields a decrease in average exam scores of about one point (out of 20). When relying on ordinary least squares estimations, the magnitude of this effect is substantially underestimated.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 11455

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Education ; Higher Education; Research Institutions ; Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
• Subject: smartphone use ; academic performance ; causality

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Baert, Stijn ; Vujic, Suncica ; Amez, Simon ; Claeskens, Matteo ; Daman, Thomas ; Maeckelberghe, Arno ; Omey, Eddy ; De Marez, Lieven
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2018

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/180473
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET