Sharing, liking, surfing, and not studying! Cyberloafing by Accounting Sciences students

Abstract

Guided by the possibility of the learning process being affected by cyberloafing behavior, this study analyzed the precedents and consequences of engagement in cyberloafing behavior by Accounting Sciences students based on personal use of the internet and technological devices in the classroom. There is little joint discussion about the precedents and consequences of this behavior, despite the diverse evidence of its importance and influence over the individuals’ different living environments. Thus, these variables represent a topic of interest to understand their effects over students. Cyberloafing behavior has been linked to academic performance, learning experiences, and the emotional state of students, and so it is pertinent to understand its precedents and consequences. The implications of the research are discussed in theoretical, practical, and social terms. The personal and conscious use of the internet and technological devices should be promoted in order to provide gains both at the individual and at the organizational level in the environment the student inhabits. Structural equation modeling was applied to 404 valid participations obtained through an online survey conducted with students from different regions of Brazil. The personal precedents, such as the need for contact with friends, exert a greater effect over cyberloafing behavior. The academic precedents, such as the quality of the materials used in the classes, also presented a significant relationship with cyberloafing behavior. The consequences related with cyberloafing consisted of arriving late to class and academic meetings, procrastinating in the execution of academic activities, and isolating oneself from friends and family. These elements show that cyberloafing is the result of the environment the individual inhabits and that it has different consequences in the student’s life.