Just having your smartphone nearby can lower attention performance
The full story
In 2017, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin brought 520 smartphone users into a lab and gave them cognitive tests measuring working memory and fluid intelligence.
Participants were divided into groups based on where their phones were placed. Some left their phones in another room, others kept them in a pocket or bag, and another group placed them face-down on the desk. None were allowed to use their phones during testing.
The group whose phones were in another room performed best. The researchers proposed that resisting the habitual impulse to check a nearby phone may consume some of the same limited cognitive resources needed for demanding tasks.
“The mere presence of one's smartphone may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources.”
Ward et al. · University of Texas at Austin · 2017When you need sustained focus, placing your phone farther away may be more effective than simply putting it face-down beside you.
The source study
Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
Three experiments tested whether simply having a smartphone nearby reduces available cognitive capacity, even when the device is not being used.
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