You shouldn’t put smartphones on the table

We should all better refrain from simply putting our smartphones on the table. A study now speaks of “significant effects” on cognitive performance. Should we put the cell phone in our pockets then?

Smartphone on the table: study shows potential distraction

Smartphones are so important to many people that we basically always want to have them within reach. What could be more natural than simply laying the cell phone on the table next to us? What sounds like a comparatively harmless activity can actually have serious consequences. University of Texas researchers did found that having a smartphone within range can have a significant impact on brain performance – even when the cell phone is switched off. How can that be?

In a study with 800 subjects, experiments were carried out in which the participants were each divided into three groups. The aim was to investigate how the location of the smartphone affects the performance of the subjects’ brains. Participants of the first group put their cell phone next to them on the table, the second group put their phone in their backpack and disappeared out of sight, the third group immediately moved their cell phone to another room. Then the researchers started one Test to test cognitive skills – and the result was surprisingly clear how Computer picture writes.

Participants in the group who had their cell phones in another room performed significantly better in the test than participants in the other groups. However, differences between the other two groups (cell phone on the table or cell phone in the pocket) could not be determined. It is also irrelevant whether the smartphone is switched on or off or whether the display is pointing up or down.

How to control your smartphone usage:

Cell phone nearby: brain performance decreases

According to the scientists at the University of Texas, the mere possibility of being able to theoretically use a cell phone is enough to temporarily reduce the performance of the brain. It would some of the cognitive performance is wasted not being distracted by the cell phone. Only when the smartphone is not in range or sight can the brain really “switch off” and concentrate on the task at hand.

Even if this is just a single study that has not yet been reproduced by other researchers, the clear results should at least be thought-provoking. It should be clear to every smartphone owner that we are easily distracted by the mobile phone. The fact that it is irrelevant whether the cell phone actually vibrates or is simply on the table or in the backpack is certainly an interesting finding.