Scientists are not joking when they say that having a phone negatively affects the cognitive abilities of the owner. According to recent studies, even if a mobile phone is turned off or lies with its screen facing down, but at the same time is in the field of vision, the cognitive abilities and general brain activity of a person are significantly reduced. This is evidenced by data from the report "Brain Drain: Having a Smartphone in the Field of View Reduces Cognitive Abilities," published in the JournaloftheAssociationforConsumerResearch by a group of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.
In a scientific experiment, it was found that the ability of the human brain to store and process information was significantly increased if the smartphone was in another room while the owner passed the test for controlling attention and cognitive processes. In addition, it was found that the results of subjects who kept their phones in their pocket or bag outperformed those whose phones were on the table during the test. And even if the smartphone was turned off or lay on the table with the screen down, just a glance at the phone provoked a deterioration in cognitive abilities.
In June 2016, another study found that the typical smartphone owner uses their phone on average 85 times a day. This includes, for example, checking your phone immediately after waking up, before bed, and often in the middle of the night. (Although I hate to admit it, but I am that heavily addicted user, and all these statistics exactly reflect my habit of "hanging" on the phone right before bed or checking it before I wake up. - Approx.).
Has it ever happened that you could not concentrate on something for a long time and, being unable to resist the temptation, checked your phone again and again? I think if we were left to ourselves, then no one would resist the temptation to constantly flip through news feeds in social networks or exchange comments. But living in the real world, in the midst of real worries and routine chores, you have to make tremendous efforts every day and every minute to physically keep yourself as far from your smartphone as possible. For example, I intentionally left my phone locked in the glove compartment of my car in order to write this text at a local cafe.
The data collected by scientists prove that we need to take smartphones out of sight when we need to fully focus on something here and now. Another study from the McComb School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin also confirms the importance of keeping your distance and giving up your phone in other aspects of life, such as when driving or hanging out with friends and family.
In a study examining the effects of a mobile phone on cognition, Adrian Ward and colleagues at the McComb School of Business conducted two different experiments involving nearly 800 smartphone users.
In the first experiment, researchers asked participants to take a series of tests that required full concentration and measured cognitive ability. Before the start of the test, all subjects were required to set their phones to “silent” airplane mode. In addition, participants either put their phones on the table, put it in their pocket or personal bag, or left it in another room. Participants who left their phones in another room were found to significantly outperform those whose phones were next to them in the test.
In a second experiment, the researchers found that the test scores of those test subjects who were identified as highly addicted to their smartphones were significantly worse than those of their less dependent counterparts. The test results were especially depressing if "smartphone addicts" kept their phones on the table, in their pocket or bag. The good news is that if the phone was in a different room, then all test participants, regardless of the previously identified degree of dependence on the gadget, performed equally well on the cognitive skills tests.
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Adrinan Ward summed up the work of the research team he led from the University of Texas at Austin:
One of the most valuable findings of this study is that it doesn't seem to matter at all whether the smartphone is turned on or not, whether it is on the table in front of you, screen up or down … Just having a phone in your field of vision can reduce your ability to solve mental tasks. requiring concentration of attention. Fortunately, there is a fairly simple solution to this problem: you just need to move the smartphone to another room, even a pocket or bag will do.
Remember: when you need to focus on something and completely immerse yourself in work, hide your phone away. This will enable the brain to use its powers to the fullest.