Do Smartphones Make Us Stupid?

Technology, and smartphones in particular, make our lives easier and more enjoyable. We have access to more information, we can do more in less time, communicate with many more people … But that does not mean that it makes us neither more productive nor smarter.

Specifically, our smartphones reduce our cognitive ability. At least that is what a recent study from the University of Texas at Austin, USA says, According to this study,  cognitive ability and global brain power are significantly reduced when you have your smartphone at a short distance, even if it is turned off and face down .

The smartphone is more than a phone. It is a small computer with a huge capacity to connect us. The presence of our smartphone allows us to have access to information on demand, to various forms of entertainment, it facilitates social stimulation and much more. However, this research suggests that these benefits, and the dependency they engender, may come at a cognitive cost.

The mere presence of your smartphone can reduce cognitive ability, according to the study.

The cognitive cost of smartphones

Our smartphones allow and encourage a constant connection not only between people, but also with information and entertainment, putting the world at our fingertips. However, although these devices have immense potential to improve our well-being, their constant presence can have a significant cognitive cost.

This research tests the hypothesis that researchers have called “brain drain”. According to this hypothesis, the mere presence of the smartphone itself can occupy cognitive resources of limited capacity, thus leaving fewer resources available for other tasks and undervaluing cognitive performance.

The results of the experiments carried out by the researchers indicate that even when people manage to maintain sustained attention, the mere presence of these devices reduces the available cognitive capacity. This occurs, for example, by avoiding the temptation to check the smartphone. In addition, these cognitive costs are higher the greater the dependence on smartphones.

Smartphones don’t make us smarter

In one experiment, researchers asked study participants to sit at a computer to perform a series of tests that required a good deal of concentration. The tests were aimed at measuring the available cognitive capacity of the participants, that is, the ability of the brain to store and process data at a given time. Before starting, participants were randomly chosen to silently place their smartphones on the desk face down, in their personal pocket or purse, or in another room.

The researchers found that participants who had their smartphones in another room significantly outperformed those who had them on the desk. They also slightly outperformed participants who had kept their devices in a pocket or purse.

The results suggest that the mere presence of a smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and affects cognitive functioning, despite the fact that people feel that they are giving their full attention and focus on the task they are doing.

“We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more perceptible, the available cognitive ability of the participants decreases,” the researchers explain. “Your conscious mind is not thinking on your smartphone, but that process, the process of demanding that you not think about something, uses some of your limited cognitive resources.” 

In another experiment, the researchers tried to identify the influence of smartphones, but also tried to isolate the effect that a greater or lesser dependence on these devices could have.

The participants gave the participants the same computer tests. The group assignment was also done randomly: one group had to do the tests with their phones next to them and with the screen facing up, another group had them in their bag, another group in another room and another simply had to be with them off.

The researchers found that participants who were more dependent on their smartphones performed worse compared to their less dependent peers, but only when they kept their smartphones on the desk or in their pocket or purse. They also found that it didn’t matter whether the smartphone was on or off, or whether it was face up or face down on a desk.

The researchers explain that it was not that the participants were distracted because they received notifications on their phones, but that the mere presence of their smartphone was enough to reduce their cognitive ability.

Is it smarter to avoid the smartphone?

Although the researchers focused primarily on the cognitive costs associated with the presence of smartphones, the study is equally relevant to the potential implications of their absence. Debates about “disconnection” in popular culture reflect a growing consumer interest in intentionally reducing – or at least controlling – the time spent interacting with electronic devices.

In this sense, the researchers point out that some consumers are replacing their smartphones with phones with less advanced features or are supplementing them with devices or functionalities that offer a short break from the connection. Others are turning to apps that track, filter, and limit smartphone use.

Research suggests that these measures can be doubly beneficial for the digitally tired. Thus, by redefining the relevance of their devices, these consumers can reduce digital distraction and increase available cognitive capacity. 

In any case, stick with this idea: