The mere presence of your smartphone reduces brain power, study shows
- Date: June 23, 2017
- Source: University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
- Summary: Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced
when your smartphone is within reach — even if it’s off — suggests new
research.
Here’s an extract from the abstract:
“The findings suggest that the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces
available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even
though people feel they’re giving their full attention and focus to the
task at hand. “We see a linear trend that suggests that as the
smartphone becomes more noticeable, participants’ available cognitive
capacity decreases,” Ward said. “Your conscious mind isn’t thinking
about your smartphone, but that process — the process of requiring
yourself to not think about something — uses up some of your limited
cognitive resources. It’s a brain drain.””
Thank you reader B for passing it on. Full thing here.