Phubbing Behaviour and Information Discernment among Students of the State Islamic University of North Sumatra

Abstract

With the rise of smartphone use, phubbing is becoming more prevalent in college settings. This illness is thought to impact not only social interaction, but also the ability to distinguish information, or to evaluate the credibility of the information. This study aims to find out the phubbing behaviour on the ability to discern information for students of State Islamic University of North Sumatra and to find out what efforts students do to maintain the quality of information evaluation. The study used a descriptive qualitative method with purposive sampling and included six students who exhibited phubbing behaviour. An interactive analytic model was used to analyse the data that were gathered through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. According to the study's findings, nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, self-isolation, and problem acknowledgement are the four dimensions through which phubbing behaviour arises. Through attention disturbance, decreased learning engagement, and a propensity to analyse material superficially, these four characteristics impact the process of receiving knowledge. However, some students continue to make an effort to uphold information discernment by checking information with instructors or peers, going over course materials, and limiting smartphone use according to a priority scale. These results suggest that phubbing increases susceptibility to the deterioration in the quality of information evaluation rather than directly eliminating the capacity for information discernment. Therefore, in order to help students' capacity to critically analyse information, self-regulation, digital distraction management, and information literacy must be strengthened.

Abstrak

Perilaku phubbing semakin sering ditemukan di lingkungan perguruan tinggi seiring meningkatnya intensitas penggunaan smartphone. Kondisi ini tidak hanya memengaruhi interaksi sosial, tetapi juga diduga berdampak pada information discernment, yaitu kemampuan mengevaluasi kredibilitas informasi secara kritis. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis perilaku phubbing terhadap information discernment mahasiswa Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara serta mengidentifikasi upaya yang dilakukan mahasiswa untuk mempertahankan kualitas penilaian informasi. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik purposive sampling terhadap enam mahasiswa yang memenuhi kriteria perilaku phubbing. Data dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara mendalam, dan dokumentasi, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan model analisis interaktif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perilaku phubbing muncul melalui empat dimensi, yaitu nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, self-isolation, dan problem acknowledgement. Keempat dimensi tersebut memengaruhi proses penerimaan informasi melalui gangguan perhatian, berkurangnya keterlibatan dalam pembelajaran, serta kecenderungan melakukan evaluasi informasi secara dangkal. Meskipun demikian, sebagian mahasiswa tetap berupaya mempertahankan information discernment dengan memverifikasi informasi kepada dosen maupun teman, meninjau kembali materi pembelajaran, serta mengendalikan penggunaan smartphone berdasarkan skala prioritas. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa phubbing tidak secara langsung menghilangkan kemampuan information discernment, tetapi meningkatkan kerentanan terhadap menurunnya kualitas evaluasi informasi. Oleh karena itu, penguatan regulasi diri, pengelolaan distraksi digital, dan literasi informasi diperlukan untuk mendukung kemampuan mahasiswa mengevaluasi informasi secara kritis.