The use of smartphones and tablets and its effects on self-regulation

The use of smartphones and tablets is very common in nowadays. In the US 19% of Americans rely on smartphones for accessing online materials, and connecting to the world around them. 64% of American adults own a smartphone (Smith, 2015). 7% of Americans use smartphones as the main device to connect to the Internet, because they no longer have other alternatives such as a desktop computer (Smith, 2015). Therefore, it was important to conduct this research to understand the use of smartphones and tablets and its effects on students' self-regulation of learning. The present study investigated the relationship between the amount of time students spend per day on smartphones and tablets, and its effects on their self-regulation of learning. It also investigated the students' self-regulation of learning level, and the amount of time they spent per day using smartphones and tablets. The results revealed that female students spent less hours per day using smartphones and tablets than male students. In addition, female students showed higher self-regulation of learning than male students.