High cellphone usage can lead to lower grades and other problems for college students, according to a new study by Kent State University researchers.
In a recent study of college students, the researchers found the highest frequency cellphone users tended to have lower grade point averages, higher levels of anxiety and less happiness with their life compared to peers who used their devices less often.
Andrew Lepp, Jacob Barkley and Aryn Karpinski, all faculty members in Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, surveyed more than 500 university students about their daily cellphone use and measures of anxiety and satisfaction with life.
The participants also allowed the researchers to access official university records to compare cumulative GPAs.
“These findings add to the debate about student cellphone use, and how increased use may negatively impact academic performance, mental health, and subjective well-being or happiness,” the authors concluded in the study, published in the professional journal Computers in Human Behavior.
In another report released earlier this year, a team led by Lepp and Barkley found college students who reported the highest cellphone use — averaging 14 hours a day — were less fit than those who used the devices less often.
Prevent customer falls
The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Golden Buckeye Program have teamed up to launch STEADY U Ohio, an initiative to help retailers make their businesses safer, “fall-free zones” for customers.
According to a news release from the organizations, falls are the No. 1 cause of injury-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths among people 65 and older.
The STEADY U Ohio website — www.steadyu.ohio.gov — includes tips and resources to help retailers prevent falls among customers during the busy holiday shopping season.
Among the tips:
• Create a falls prevention policy and make sure employees know and understand it.
• Look for issues with flooring, stairs, lighting and cleaning that could cause accidents.
• Providing seating around the business, especially in areas where customers have to wait.
• Extend sales or offer other options to older customers when it’s snowy and icy.
• Watch for slippery floors, spills, loose rugs, unsafe sidewalks or stairs and ramps, items blocking aisles or displays that block views.
Top symptom searches
When it comes to health symptoms, diabetes is on the minds of Internet users.
Diabetes was the most commonly searched health symptom this year among Yahoo users, according to a news release from the search engine.
Others in the top 10, in order, were: lung cancer symptoms, gall bladder symptoms, shingles symptoms, lupus symptoms, bone cancer symptoms, bipolar symptoms, gout symptoms, thyroid symptoms and Lyme disease symptoms.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.