TikTok and The Distracted Classroom: Exploring University Students’ Attention Experience in English Classes

Revalin Ghea Permata; Sunardi Sunardi; Istanti Hermagustiana; Aridah Aridah

doi:10.59923/joinme.v4i2.974

Authors

Revalin Ghea Permata Department of English Language Education, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia
Sunardi Sunardi Department of English Language Education, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia
Istanti Hermagustiana Department of English Language Education, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia
Aridah Aridah Department of English Language Education, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59923/joinme.v4i2.974

Keywords:

TikTok, Attention, EFL, Short-Form Videos, Self-Regulation, Higher Education

Abstract

The increasing use of TikTok among students has raised concerns about students’ ability to maintain their attention during English classes. Most previous studies have used quantitative approaches and did not capture the complexity of students’ personal experiences, particularly the paradox between full awareness of TikTok’s negative effects and a lack of ability to address them. This qualitative descriptive study, informed by a phenomenological perspective, explored how Indonesian EFL university students experience attention in English classes in the short-form video era, what disrupts or supports their attention, and how they manage their TikTok use. Five female students from the English Language Education Program at Mulawarman University were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed online using semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The results revealed five main themes: (1) students often have difficulty maintaining attention during English classes; (2) interactive activities and understanding the material help students stay focused; (3) TikTok and short videos are the main sources of distraction in the classroom; (4) intensive use of TikTok appears to affect students’ attention patterns; and (5) students use simple strategies to maintain attention, but these strategies are not always effective. Across these themes, participants described an awareness–control paradox: they recognized that TikTok disrupted their learning but could not regulate their use on their own, particularly during long, listening-based explanations. These results suggest that EFL lecturers should design more interactive and varied learning activities and that institutions should support students in developing self-regulation strategies.

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