Research evidence suggests that smartphones do not allow the brain to rest
The Journal of Behavioural Addictions has published the results of an experiment conducted among the students at Rutgers University. In the experiment, 414 participants had to solve word anagram puzzles. In the process of completing the assignment, each person had to take a break for shopping – on the phone, at the computer, or in the paper catalogue – and then finish the work. The control group performed the task without interruption.
As a result, it turned out that the students who used their phone during the pause, on average, solved 22% fewer anagrams than the rest of the participants. Moreover, they spent 19% more time for their breaks.
Smartphone addiction has become the scourge of our society. Almost all people have telephones, even the elderly and small children. They are packed with a lot of opportunities, including communication in social networks, endless games and contests, reading, searching for information, navigation, photo albums and entertainment for every taste. With a phone in our hands, we while away the time on public transport or in the elevator, we relax at lunchtime or after work. We even lie in bed with a smartphone before going to sleep. We overload our brains all the time and don’t let them rest.
Try to use your phone only for making calls for at least a couple of days, just for fun! To be honest, only a few people will be able to succeed, for many of us have an Internet addiction. Maybe it’s time to wake up and return to the real world! If you have problems at work or within your family, if you do not have enough time for important things, if health problems have begun because of your smartphone – think about whether you can cope without it by yourself! If not, ask for help.