Emotion regulation, e‐learning readiness, technology usage status, in‐class smartphone cyberloafing, and smartphone addiction in the time of COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has spread quickly, e‐learning became compulsory and disseminated throughout the world. During the pandemic, smartphones are frequently used to access e‐learning content, but connecting to technological tools increased the risk of cyberloafing during e‐courses. Currently, there are a limited number of studies on how e‐learning will evolve under compulsory conditions. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation, e‐learning readiness, technology usage status (TUS), in‐class smartphone cyberloafing, and smartphone addiction (SA) of the students during the pandemic. Methods In total 1294 students participated in this study. A research model was tested by structural equation modelling. Results and Conclusion The findings of this study indicated that there is a relationship between TUS and SA. Emotion regulation was related to SA. E‐learning readiness levels can help to explain cyberloafing. This study presents a conceptual model of the variables that affect cyberloafing in the context of the e‐learning environment.