Behaviour of Children and Adolescents and the Use of Mobile Phones in Primary Schools in the Czech Republic

Kamil Kopecký, Francisco-Domingo Fernández-Martín, René Szotkowski, Gerardo Gómez-García and Klára Mikulcová
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Kamil Kopecký: Centre for Prevention of Risky Virtual Communication, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, CZ-779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Francisco-Domingo Fernández-Martín: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Campus de Cartuja s.n., 18071 Granada, Spain
René Szotkowski: Centre for Prevention of Risky Virtual Communication, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, CZ-779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Gerardo Gómez-García: Department of Didactics, School Organization, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Klára Mikulcová: Centre for Prevention of Risky Virtual Communication, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, CZ-779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-15

Abstract: Today’s young people spend most of their time in contact with mobile devices. Their excessive use carries many risks, such as addiction, cyberbullying and social disruption. Based on this, this study analysed the mobile phone use of young Czechs between 7 and 17 years old ( n = 27.177) and assessed the differences in their behaviour according to the mobile device use policies of their schools. The results show that the use of mobile phones was linked to the one of the social networks, YouTube and videogames for the most part. Similarly, those young people who had them at school preferred to use them, instead of practicing sports or social activities. On the other hand, in the centres in which the use of mobile phones was prohibited, they felt bored and without activities to do. Therefore, it will be necessary for schools to implement educational policies that encourage activities and areas of social interaction in the school, especially during recess. However, at the same time, it is recommended not to prohibit the use of technological devices in the educational centre, since this fact encourages students to use them secretly and increases their desire to use them. To this end, its use in the classroom is advocated from an educational perspective, thus promoting collaborative learning and increasing student motivation.

Keywords: mobile phone; children; behaviour; schools; internet threats (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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