Utilisation of the Internet for Cyberloafing Activities among University Students

Abstract

Cyberloafing, described as students use of the internet for non-class related purposes during the instructional period, has been shown to have significant negative influence on scholastic attainments (e.g., Wu, Mei & Ugrin, 2018). As the practice of cyberloafing becomes entrenched, students are likely to carry such behaviours to their workplaces, and subsequently affect performance and productivity of the labour force. This study explored cyberloafing activities among university students. The parameters of investigation were the frequency, kinds, gender issues and the factors that give birth to cyberloafing during the instructional period. The study employed the descriptive survey design and questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 140 students randomly selected from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, participated in the study. The findings were that cyberloafing is pervasive among university students. However, student cyberloafing engagements are predominantly narrowed to specific activities such as online-chatting, listening to the news and sending and receiving emails. Respondents further indicated varied reinforcers of cyberloafing emerging from the actions of lecturers, learners, the course and the learning environment. It was recommended that the university, in collaboration with stakeholders adopt effective ways to curb the current phenomenon of cyberloafing in schools before they turn into unmanageable behaviours.