Distracted: Academic Performance Differences between Teen Users and Non-Users of MySpace and other Communication Technology
Tamyra A. Pierce, Roberto Vaca
This study examined the differences in academic
performance between teen users and non-users of
various communication technologies. Participants
included 517 high school students who completed
a self-report survey. The results revealed that
approximately ¾ of the teens had a MySpace account
and a cell phone and more than ½ had an IM account.
Results also showed that those who had a MySpace
account, cell phone and IM had signifi cantly lower
grades than those who did not. Results also revealed
that teens who used their MySpace, cell phone and IM
while doing their homework reported having lower
grades than those who did not use the technology while
doing their homework. In addition, those who put off
doing their homework to spend time on MySpace also
reported lower grades than those who did not put off
doing their homework to spend time with MySpace.
Finally, results showed that 28% text messaged during
class from always to frequently, and 5% reported text
messaging during an exam from always to frequently. Full Text
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