The proliferation of mobile phone usage among learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds has prompted school authorities to contemplate banning these devices within educational institutions. This research seeks to explore the motivations and usage patterns of high school learners in response to the proposed ban. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted surveys and interviews with 262 students from three township schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Grounded in the Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT), our study examined four key categories: reasons for mobile phone use, usage patterns, purchasing influences, and behavioral factors. Our findings reveal a predominant opposition among students to the ban, despite a significant number opting to leave their phones at home due to concerns about theft and robbery in their neighborhoods. Financial constraints, specifically the inability to afford data bundles and airtime, also contribute to this behavior. Notably, 40% of the participants reported using their phones for more than five hours daily, a duration classified as overuse in existing literature. The primary motivations for mobile phone use among these learners include socializing, internet browsing for non-educational purposes, and using the device for entertainment and recreation. This study highlights critical insights into the nuanced relationship between high school learners and mobile phone usage, offering valuable perspectives for policymakers and educators considering the implications of a mobile phone ban in schools.

翻译：不同社会经济背景的学生中手机使用的普及，促使学校当局考虑在教育机构内禁止这些设备。本研究旨在探讨高中学生对拟议禁令的动机和使用模式。采用混合方法，我们对南非西开普省三所乡镇学校的262名学生进行了调查和访谈。基于使用与满足理论（UGT），我们的研究考察了四个关键类别：手机使用原因、使用模式、购买影响因素以及行为因素。我们的研究结果显示，尽管有相当数量的学生因担心社区内的盗窃和抢劫而选择将手机留在家中，但学生中普遍反对禁令。经济约束，特别是无法负担数据套餐和通话时间，也促成了这一行为。值得注意的是，40%的参与者报告每天使用手机超过五小时，这一时长在现有文献中被归类为过度使用。这些学生使用手机的主要动机包括社交、非教育目的的互联网浏览，以及将设备用于娱乐和休闲。本研究揭示了高中学生与手机使用之间微妙关系的重要见解，为政策制定者和教育工作者考虑学校手机禁令的影响提供了宝贵的视角。