Exploring the Impact of Technology Use in Reading Boredom of EFL Students: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Boredom is a well-researched concept, such as boredom on reading text. While reading, the students can feel bored because they think the text is too long or the material is too heavy for them. Students face the challenge of reading being an activity with some obstacles. Students sometimes try to reduce boredom by opening other interactional apps or looking at something else on their electronic device, i.e., smartphone and laptop. Technology plays a vital role in reading text in the university context to help students reduce boredom and enjoy reading activities while and after. Students must have a planning strategy to read until after reading so they know their process in reading. This study explored EFL students' perceptions and experiences of reading boredom at a private university in Malang. The goal of the research is to gain deep experience and how to solve the problem of boredom. This study using narrative inquiry and qualitative in boredom such new study in Indonesia. I took 4 selected participants from the 6th semester at a private university in Malang. The research procedure before I interview is doing a pre-research survey that selects students with specific question and criteria. Narrative inquiry is how students explain their experience of reading boredom to get several perspectives. Additionally, thematic analysis helps them code and explain the findings while doing this research. The findings of this study indicated that the students could feel bored with a text that is too long, and sometimes, the teacher gives an uninteresting topic to read. Students read the abstract or back cover if it is a book to find themself interested in starting and continuing the reading activity. Distraction from other apps is a problem that students face, as the text is too long. Screen use while reading can also make positive and negative engagement with digital text. Students prefer to read digitally and find themselves more interactive with digital than printed book text. The conclusion showed that boredom is complicated and involves many emotions and reactions from students who deserve “special treatment” in reading. Key words: Reading, Technology, Boredom