The purpose of this study was to ascertain the influence of smartphone use on students' academic performance in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. It also looks at ways to lessen the detrimental effects of smartphone use on learning outcomes and how much information overload affects students' learning outcomes. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study, while a simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 360. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, while mean and standard deviation were used for analysis. The instrument was validated by three experts and had a reliability index of 0.92. The results showed that students' learning outcomes are adversely affected by smartphone addiction and that this problem is made worse by information overload. Additionally, respondents agreed on several strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of smartphone use, underscoring the significance of well-thought-out interventions in private secondary schools. The study shows that although smartphones are worthwhile educational prospects, excessive use and information overload can impair academic performance, calling for efficient management techniques. It was also recommended that parents and teachers both play a significant part in reducing the detrimental effects of smartphone use on students' academic performance.

Keywords: Smartphone, STEM, Learning Outcome, Private Secondary Schools.