Role of school libraries in reducing the mobile phone addiction of children; A literature review

Abstract

Background: The increasing use of mobile phones among children has raised concerns regarding the potential for addiction and its negative impacts on their physical, emotional, and academic well-being. School libraries, as integral educational spaces, play a vital role in addressing this growing issue. This study aimed to examine the role of school libraries in reducing mobile phone usage among children, to identify the specific programs and resources in school libraries that can mitigate mobile phone addiction. Method: The sample will be selected from the source of publications within the specified time limit from 2014-2024. The source of the study area sample retrieved 10 articles through key databases, such as Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Emerald, Ebsco and Science Direct using the purposive sampling strategy. The search was directed utilizing several keywords: "School library services", "Younger students perusing", and "Preventing mobile phone addiction". Results: According to the literature, the study highlights the key strategies employed by school libraries such as promoting digital literacy with digital citizenship, creating awareness about healthy and safe online practices including cyberbullying. The review explored the collaborative efforts between librarians, educators and parents to ensure a balanced approach to mobile phone use both inside and outside of the school. The findings indicated that while school libraries have made strides in raising awareness about mobile phone addiction, there remain gaps in fully integrating these programs across all schools. Conclusion: This literature review calls for further research to develop comprehensive guidelines to overcome this issue. Finally, this research suggested building collaboration with educators, librarians, especially parents, policymakers and discussions are needed on best practices for addressing mobile phone addiction in educational settings.