Student problems referred for guidance and counseling, cell phone regulations, and high school students' dependence on their cell phones: Questionnaire results from high school teachers and students

Abstract

The present study investigated relationships between the frequency of referrals of student problems for guidance and counseling, the severity of cell phone regulations at high schools, and high school students' reported dependence on their cell phones. Approximately 500 teachers and 1,700 students at 13 high schools completed questionnaires. The results suggested that cell phones were viewed by the students as being important. The tendency for high school students to report dependence on their cell phones was higher at high schools where there was a higher frequency of referrals of student problems for guidance and counseling. At high school with few such referrals, the students' reported dependence on their cell phones varied with the strength of the schools' regulations relating to cell phones. Specifically, the results suggested that students at high schools with a low occurrence of problems referred for guidance and counseling and strong cell phone regulations had a greater dependence on their cell phones compared to students at high schools with weak cell phone regulations.