Digital Distraction, Academic Motivation, and Student Absenteeism in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

This repository contains the supplementary materials for the manuscript titled: "Academic engagement in higher education is structurally hampered by digital distraction".

Abstract:
Academic engagement in higher education is structurally hampered by digital distraction (social networking, phubbing, cyberloafing, FoMO). This comprehensive review uses Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to map the unidentified pathway from digital distraction to motivational loss and student absence. Electronic databases (ERIC, ResearchRabbit, Scopus) were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2026 that centred around higher education students (≥18 years) in accordance with PRISMA 2020 principles. CASP and AMSTAR 2 were used to evaluate quality, and SWiM criteria (PROSPERO: CRD420261360308) were followed in the narrative synthesis of the data. 24 primary studies and 8 secondary sources (total N = 9,370 across 12 nations) were included in the synthesis. The findings show that in 75% of pertinent studies, digital distraction has a detrimental effect on academic motivation. Academic motivation significantly mediated the distraction-absenteeism relationship (p < .05), and cognitive absenteeism was the most consistently associated outcome (10 trials; Cohen’s d = 0.92–1.11). Bidirectional trajectories were found in two investigations. Finally, as a thorough framework for distraction-driven disengagement, this paper presents the Digital Distraction–Motivation–Absenteeism (DDMA) paradigm. The results show that the main effect of digital distraction is not physical absence but rather cognitive disengagement. Therefore, rather than depending just on device access limitations, institutional interventions must address underlying motivational and attentional variables.

File Descriptions:

· Supplementary_File_1_Data_Extraction.xlsx: Comprehensive data extraction sheet of the 24 primary and 8 secondary included studies.

· Supplementary_File_2_Search_and_Quality.xlsx: Detailed electronic database search strategies and quality assessment scores using CASP and AMSTAR 2.

· Figure1_DDMA_Model.png: High-resolution diagram of the Digital Distraction–Motivation–Absenteeism (DDMA) paradigm.

· Figure2_PRISMA_Flow.png: PRISMA 2020 flow diagram illustrating the study selection process.

· PRISMA_2020_Checklist_Ayub_2026.docx: Completed PRISMA 2020 compliance checklist.