The Smartphone Tax on our Brains

We all understand the joys of our always-wired world—the connections, the validations, the laughs ... the info. ...But we are only beginning to get our minds around the costs. 

—Andrew Sullivan (2016)

Did you know that the mere presence of your smartphone is affecting your brain?

You might have thought that spending time on your phone is damaging your productivity but have you ever considered that your smartphone being on your desk is costing you your focus?

Distractions from cell phones are not only affecting us when we use them. They are affecting us all the time! This study suggests the mere presence of a cell phone can tax the brain’s cognitive resources and decrease cognitive abilities.

In this study the participants were randomly assigned into 3 groups with the only difference being the whereabouts of their cellphone:

1. Smartphone on the desk

2. Smartphone in pocket or bag close to them

3. Smartphone in another room

The groups were asked to carry out cognitive tests. No participant looked or touched their phones at any time during the tests. Surprisingly, the results show that participant’s cognitive performance decreases with the proximity to their cell phone. Their working memory, the ability to hold information in the mind, was diminished. Their fluid intelligence, the ability to make connections and see patterns, was shown to suffer as well. 

From Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity by

Adrian F. Ward, Kristen Duke, Ayelet Gneezy, and Maarten W. Bos

However, very few participants said they felt distracted by their phone. So remember, we are not good at judging what distracts us. We think that just because we did not use our phones we are not distracted.  

To me this study is good evidence that we need to start reevaluating our relationship with our phones. We are physical beings and location does play a role in our lives. Most human inventions have had a specific place in our lives but over the past decade smartphones and smart devices have gotten closer and more integrated into our lives. They have moved from our purses and bags, to our pockets, bed-side tables and wrists. We welcomed this proximity without ever asking if there is a cost associated with it. And it looks like we need to ask ourselves what we can do about this smartphone-induced “brain drain”.