Are Smartphones Making Us Dumber?

Technology, especially smartphones, makes life easier and more enjoyable. We can access more information, do more things in less time, and communicate with more people. But that doesn’t necessarily make us more productive or intelligent.

Actually  ,  smartphones reduce  cognitive capacity. At least, that’s what a study from the University of Texas at Austin claims. According to the study, cognitive capacity and global brain power are significantly lower when your smartphone is nearby. This is true even when it is turned off or the screen is down.

A smartphone is more than a phone. It is a mini computer with a huge capacity to connect us directly to information, entertainment and social stimulation. However, this study suggests that we pay a cognitive price for these benefits. We are also becoming more and more dependent on it.

The cognitive costs of smartphones

Smartphones facilitate and encourage a constant connection that puts the world at your fingertips. Not only with other people, but also information and entertainment. While these devices have enormous potential to improve our well-being, their constant presence can come with significant cognitive costs.

The study supports a hypothesis the researchers call brain drain . It argues that the mere presence of a smartphone can hijack cognitive resources that already have limited capacity, leaving fewer resources available for other tasks and decreasing cognitive performance. This happens when you have to struggle to resist the temptation to look at your smartphone. The cognitive costs are higher if you are more dependent on your phone.

Smartphones don’t make us smarter

In one experiment, researchers asked participants to sit in front of the computer. They then had to perform a series of tests that required a high concentration. The tests measured each participant’s available cognitive capacity, or the capacity to store and process information at any given time. Before starting, they randomly selected groups of participants to mute their smartphones and place them face down on the desk, in their pocket or purse, or in another room.

The researchers found that the participants who put their smartphones in a different room performed significantly better than those who kept them on the desk. They also outperformed the ones they put in their pocket or purse.

The results suggest that having a smartphone nearby reduces available cognitive capacity and affects cognitive functioning. Even when you feel like you are focusing all your attention on the task at hand.

“We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable, the participants’ available cognitive capacity decreases,” the researchers explained. “Your conscious mind isn’t thinking about your smartphone, but that process — the process of forcing yourself not to think about anything — consumes some of your limited cognitive resources. It’s a brain drain.”

Smartphones are addictive

In another experiment, the researchers tried to find out the influence of smartphone addiction on cognitive capacity.

The participants were asked to perform the same tests on a computer, with groups being randomized. The first group did the tests with their phones next to them. The second group kept their phones in their pockets. The third group put their phones in another room. A number of people in each group were asked to turn off their phones.

The researchers found that the participants who felt more dependent on their smartphone did worse on the test than those who were less dependent. However, this was  only when the phone was on the desk or in their pocket. They also found that it doesn’t matter whether the phone is on or off. It also didn’t matter whether he lay with the screen up or down.

The researchers explained that the participants were not distracted because they were receiving messages, but simply because the phone was nearby.

Is it smarter to avoid smartphones?

While the researchers focused on the cognitive costs of the presence of smartphones, the study is equally significant in its implications when it comes to their absence. Debates about social exclusion in our culture show that there is a growing interest in intentionally reducing or at least controlling the time people spend on electronic devices.

The researchers note that some people are replacing their smartphones with less advanced phones. They also use apps or features that remind them to take a break. Others are turning to apps that filter and restrict their smartphone use.

Research shows that these measures can be twice as beneficial for people suffering from technology exhaustion. By redefining the importance of their devices, these people can reduce their digital distractions and increase their available cognitive capacity.

In any case, keep this in mind: any time you need to optimize control over your attention and cognitive function, keep your smartphone out of sight.