University students' smartphone usage in academic settings is commonplace. In this dissertation, I aim to explore different sides of smartphone usage among university students to address the gap in prior research and reach more accurate findings. I utilized various research methodologies to examine the research objective. I started by observing participants (n = 26) at the library to explore the ratio of students using their smartphones. I then surveyed university students (n = 274) to examine the role of age group and usage patterns in problematic smartphone usage. The survey was followed by a lab experiment, which tested the impact of smartphone distractions and interruptions on students' (n = 66) attention and task performance. Next was testing regulating in-class smartphone usage via extrinsic rewards, followed by testing the impact of not using smartphones in lectures on immediate recall among students (n = 34). Finally, I conducted semi-structured interviews to seek students (n = 8) perceptions of their smartphone usage in academic settings. Findings of the observation report 41% of students use their smartphones in academic settings. Based on the self-report survey, Generation Z students are more likely to overuse their smartphones. Those who use their phones primarily for social media are more prone to smartphone "addiction". The lab study indicates while students might be looking at their phones often, it does not negatively correlate with their attention. However, when studied inside classroom, the findings report otherwise. Students who did not use their phones during the lecture performed better in an immediate recall quiz. While the students thought using smartphones might impact learning negatively, they blamed boredom, availability, and lack of consequences for this behavior. This dissertation suggests that even though students may be overusing smartphones in academia, it might not always be bad. I conclude that smartphone usage patterns and dependence differ from user to user. As each user adapts to their smartphones as attachment objects, their smartphones do not generally interfere with their attention. I plan to further explore students' smartphone usage by utilizing more accurate measurement tools such as eye-tracking and usage logs and conducting longitudinal studies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]