A recent study showed that even off the smartphones have a negative impact on mental abilities of users. The presence of the device within sight of the person leads to a decrease in cognitive abilities, especially the ability to quickly consider in mind and to make decisions quickly.
Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin conducted a study that involved about 600 people. They were asked to solve several mathematical problems and memorize the sequence of random words.
Participants in the experiment were divided into three groups. First asked to put the smartphone on the table, the second proposed to remove the device in a bag or pocket, while others had to leave the gadgets in the next room.
Those who could see their smartphones during the execution of mathematical tasks that pass the test are much worse than others. The participants could not even distract notice, since they were disabled on all devices.
The participants of the experiment which left a smartphone in the next room, has bypassed when testing all the others. The experiment was repeated several times, people are randomly changed.
The results were the same: the smartphone in another room – the concentration of the owner above. As soon as the handset, even when switched off, is next – all party instantly fails all the indicators.
“Your conscious mind does not think about the smartphone, but a process that requires you to think about something that uses some of your limited cognitive resources. It’s a leak of the brain,” explained the authors of the experiment
The conclusion is disappointing. In a situation when the smartphone is in the field of view at arm’s length, people are hopelessly stupid. However, there is no difference in the education, erudition, income level and other characteristics of human thinking. Once a person sees the smartphone grows dull all the same.
