Kesan Nomofobia terhadap Estim Kendiri Murid-murid Berkeperluan Khas.

The purpose of this survey research is to identify the nomophobia level, self-esteem level and the effect of nomophobia on the self-esteem of the students with special needs in Malaysia. The dependency on smartphones has caused psychological disorders such as nomophobia. Nomophobia is the fear and anxiety experienced by an individual in the absence of a smartphone. Nomophobia is experienced by secondary school students too, including students with special needs. To address this relationship in terms of students with special needs, questionnaires was administered to 285 students with special needs. Data analysis on nomophobia and self-esteem levels was performed through descriptive statistics using mean value and standard deviation. Inferential statistics through Spearman rho correlation test analyses the correlation between nomophobia and self-esteem levels. The findings showed that students with special needs experienced moderate level of nomophobia (M=2.73, SP=. 412) and high self-esteem (M=2.72, SP=. 266). There was significant with low positive correlation between nomophobia and self-esteem levels of students with special needs (rs=.210, n=285, p < 0.05). These findings have a positive implication on the usage of smartphones to enhance the self-esteem of the students with special needs via assistive applications that support their needs. Applications such as instant messaging and social media help their inclusion into the community and further support the development of more positive self-esteem. The use of smartphones under the supervision of parents and the community is important to ensure that these devices are not misused by these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]