People these days love phones . Some of them even love them too much. Nearly half of smartphone users spend more than five hours on their phones, according to a study. But how does this affect our brain function?
Services like Google Translate, Google Maps, Shazam and many others offer us information that gives us additional knowledge and makes us smarter. However, there is also a negative side to all this.
It reduces our concentration. When we have our phones somewhere near us, even with the screen facing down so we can't see them and with notifications turned off, it's much harder to focus on anything else, according to a study from UCSD, Carnegie Mellon, and UT Austin. The researchers asked users to complete a series of mental tasks with their phones either on their desk, in their pocket, or in another room. The results showed that those who had their phones in another room performed the best, while those who had them on their desk performed the worst. The latter even seemed to suffer from drowsiness! But why is this happening?
Our phones constantly attract our attention for various reasons, even when they are turned off, the researchers concluded. This tendency to be ignored when we are doing something else, which reduces our concentration.
It causes hallucinations. Do you sometimes feel your phone vibrating in your pocket, and when you look at it, there are no messages or calls? It's a very common phenomenon. In a study by Indiana University and Purdue, 90% of participants said they had experienced "phantom vibrations" at some point. This could be a sign that our brains are eagerly awaiting a like or a new Snap. It sounds funny, but it's actually quite alarming.
It affects sleep. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, studied 653 people who had downloaded an app that tracked their phone use and sleep. Those who were constantly on their phones slept less and had lower quality sleep.
In conclusion, it is clear that the use of our mobile phone affects the way our brain works. However, there is no doubt that we will all continue to use our mobile phone on a daily basis. However, leaving it in another room when we are doing something important is not such a bad idea. Also, activating the “Night Shift” mode before going to bed can help us sleep better. Try it.
