Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Todd Ream

Second Advisor

Drew Moser

Third Advisor

Tim Herrmann

Abstract

As smartphones grow in purpose and function, they become more pervasive in the average college student’s life. Consequently, the more students integrate smartphones into their lives, the more consideration must be taken to understand the impact smartphones have on human life. This correlation study explored the relationship between smartphones and student quality of life. For the purpose of the study, “smartphone consumption” best communicated the variable “smartphones” and was measured by the average number of minutes participants spent on their smartphones per day. Moreover, the variable “quality of life” was measured by students’ self-perception and satisfaction of their own health encompassing the following four categories: mental, physical, social, and spiritual. The study was conducted at a small, faith-based liberal arts school in the Midwest with 97 total participants. Smartphone consumption and quality of life responses were compared among participants to discover whether correlations exist. Gender differences were also explored. Overall, the results indicated no correlation to moderate negative correlation (i.e., greater smartphone consumption correlated with lesser quality of life satisfaction). Educators and students are strongly encouraged to consider smartphone consumption and its potential effects on individual quality of life.

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