Smartphone or Stupidphone? [The Sunday Service]

Are our smartphones making us stupid?

Maybe, according a new report from the University of Texas.

The study is called Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity. Researchers found someone's ability to hold and process data improved enormously if their smartphone was in another room.

They asked participants to take a test to gauge attentional control and cognitive processes. Those who had their phones in a pocket or bag, or in a different room, outperformed those who had phones on the desk – even if they were turned off and face-down.

I think it's to do with willpower. We only have a limited amount of willpower, and using it saps our energy. When we have to resist the siren call of the smartphone, we have less energy to focus on what we're doing.

In June 2016, another study reported typical smartphone owners interact with their phones an average of 85 times per day: as soon as they wake up, just before going to sleep, and often in the middle of the night – plus throughout the day, of course.

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