Today's generation has fascinated humanity and has greatly increased its survival ways more than ever. Scientific and technological advancements have brought radical changes in all aspects of life along with complications. In particular, information and communications technologies (ICT), technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications, have fundamentally changed the way we communicate through the introduction and advancement of mobile phones. Cell phones have been popular since the late 1900s. And in 2011, with over seven (7) billion mobile connections worldwide and unique mobile subscriptions of over 3.5 billion, cell phones have become very popular, especially among young people, and have become commonplace in educational institutions. In the Philippines, mobile cellular networks covered ninety-nine percent (99%) of the population in 2010, and eighty percent (80%) of households reported owning a cell phone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayA cell phone or cell phone is a device capable of making and receiving telephone calls over a radio link while moving across a large geographic area. In addition to calls, it can also provide a variety of other services such as text messaging, music playback, email, Internet access, infrared, Bluetooth, business applications, gaming, photography and others. It was first introduced in 1973, and in 1983, the first mobile phone was made commercially available. Since its growing popularity, mobile phones have become a central part of people's lives and culture. People holding and staring at their cell phones is commonplace everywhere. In education, even a casual observation of today's students will reveal that cell phones are used in every likely college setting, including the classroom. Research conducted by Tindell & Bohlander (2012) even suggests that cell phones are routinely used by college students during classes despite rules prohibiting it. In a study by Levine et al., (2007) on the impact of cell phone use in education, it was suggested that cell phone use by college students could be a distraction in academic situations. The various features of modern cell phones create the temptation to browse the Internet, check social media (e.g. Facebook), play video games, contact friends, explore new applications, or engage in any number of cell phone-based recreational activities, which some students cannot resist involvement when they should instead be focusing on academics. In a similar study conducted by Kirschner & Karpinski, (2010), it was found that cell phone use is negatively related to the academic performance of college students and that the negative relationship between cell phone use and academic performance is attributed to students' decreasing attention span while studying or decreasing the amount of time spent on uninterrupted studying. As mobile phone technology continues its rapid development, most college students perceive the mobile phone mainly as a leisure device. , commonly use it mainly for social networking, watching videos, surfing the Internet and playing games. By having their own cell phones or having access to such devices, studentsthey have access to a variety of electronic media at almost any time and place. The above-mentioned activities using cell phones are time-consuming and very distracting. If so, with so much attention paid to cell phones, their use can interfere with students' study habits, which can ultimately affect their academic performance. From the beginning, man was created to be different. We were created to be in the company of others. Each of us have unique personalities, we were forced to understand each other through the communication process. Communication is such a vital aspect in our existence and survival that we devised means to make it possible in every situation. As knowledge increased and technology progressed, the means of communication also improved greatly and finally, mobile phones were invented. Primarily, cell phones were intended to function as communication devices. The first generation of cell phones could only make and receive calls. They were so bulky that it was impossible to carry them in your pocket. As these devices evolved, they became smaller and more features were added, such as multimedia messaging service (MMS), which allowed users to send and receive images. Most of these MMS-capable devices were equipped with cameras, which allowed users to capture photos, add captions, and send them to friends and family who also owned MMS-capable phones. Today's mobile phones are packed with many additional features, such as web browsers, games, cameras, video players and even navigation systems. The use of electronic media, including cell phones, has recently been linked to low student academic performance. The explanation can be traced back to multitasking. Several studies reveal that students regularly report using a variety of electronic media, including cell phones, while studying, in class, and while doing homework. Furthermore, studies also identify a negative relationship between multitasking and academic performance. First, Wood et al. (2012) measured the effect of multitasking on students' ability to learn from typical college lectures with a collection of electronic media. MSN messaging, sending emails, and using Facebook via computer have all been studied alongside cell phone texting. The results showed that, compared to students who did not multitask, students who multitasked with any of the technologies were associated with lower scores on follow-up assessments. Second, Junco and Cotton (2012) used a hierarchical regression to determine the power of multitasking in predicting actual cumulative college GPA. The results showed that multitasking on Facebook and multitasking via text messaging were significantly and negatively related to college GPA after controlling for gender, actual high school GPA, preparation time for classes, and a student's Internet skills. Finally, Rosen et al. (2013) observed the study behaviors and study settings of sample students. Participants were observed for 15 minutes, and on- and off-task behavior was recorded every minute. The results showed that participants typically became distracted by media such as Facebook and texting after less than 6 minutes of studying. Additionally, measures of daily Facebook use and daily texting behavior predicted off-task behavior during the study periods, as well as self-reported GPA. These studies suggest that sitesof social networks such as Facebook, texting, Internet use, and emailing potentially cause multitasking. and task switching during academic activities, resulting in decreased academic performance. Since it is now possible to perform multiple tasks in a single device, the mobile phone, the relationship between mobile phone use and academic performance becomes more evident. Mobile phone use and multitasking The relationship between mobile phone use, via multitasking, and students' academic performance can be explained by three theories: cognitive multimedia learning theory, information processing theory, and the attenuation model by Treisman. The multimedia principle, a theory studied extensively by Richard Mayer, is based on the idea that students learn best when they participate in relevant cognitive pressures such as paying attention to relevant material in the lesson, mentally organizing the material into a coherent cognitive representation, and integrating mentally the material with existing knowledge. According to Mayer, humans can only process a limited amount of information in one channel at a time, and they make sense of incoming information by actively creating mental representations. Furthermore, Mayer emphasizes the importance of learning when new information is combined with previous knowledge. Information processing theory, proposed by George A. Miller, is a cognitive methodology for understanding how the mind processes sensory information. The model assumes that information from the environment is subject to mental processes that go beyond a simple stimulus-response model. “Input” from the environment passes through cognitive systems which are then measured by “output.” The information received can take different paths depending on encoding, attention, storage and recognition. The theory examines real-time reactions to presented stimuli and how the mind converts that information. Selective attention requires that stimuli be filtered so that attention is focused. Treisman's model maintains this initial filter that works only on the physical characteristics of the message. Treisman states that the unattended message is processed less accurately than the expected one, and that unattended message processing is attenuated or reduced to a greater or lesser extent depending on the demands of the limited-capacity processing system. Critical Summary The ability to perform well in school can be attributed to the student's study habits, self-motivation, and concentration, among others. Although mobile phones seem capable of contributing to student learning through its various applications, they also become a great source of distraction and consume a lot of time. The presence of distractions interferes with a student's study habits and can ultimately negatively impact their academic performance. The studies reviewed showed the following: • Cell phone use by students can constitute a disruption in the academic environment; • The mobile phone is perceived by students mainly as a leisure device rather than an educational tool; and• A growing body of research suggests that electronic media is encouraged in any form and that multitasking and task switching are negatively related to academic performance. Considering the studies reviewed, the modern mobile phone is likely to create an attraction for checking social media accounts (e.g. Facebook), surfing the Internet, playing video games, exploring new applications, contacting friends..