Quick poll: If you’re sitting at your desk doing work right now, is your phone sitting in your eyeline, just waiting for you to take a break and scroll through Facebook or Twitter? Even if you manage not to check it, you’re still thinking about it, right?
You’re not alone. So much so that researchers at the University of Texas at Austin recently conducted a study to figure out just how much your phone -- even its presence, not you actually using it -- affects your brain’s capacity to focus on the task at hand.
In the experiment, the researchers split the participants into three groups. One had their phones face down on their desks, the second kept their phones in their pockets or bags and the third had them in another room.
The researchers ran the participants through a series of cognitive tests on a computer that required their full attention, such as solving math problems or remembering sequences and patterns. Then they asked them a series of questions about how their phones affected their performance.
Ultimately, the researchers found that the people who had their phones furthest from them actually scored higher on the test than the people whose phones were close by -- but all of the groups actually thought about their phones the same amount.
So next time you need to meet a deadline, consider leaving your phone behind.
Latest Stories
-
MTN Ghana drives sustainable development through digital innovation
2 hours -
Eric Otchere: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams: Apostle of Strategic Prayer
3 hours -
Bawumia is a man of action who delivers on his promises – Upper East Imams and Zongo Chiefs
7 hours -
Parliament approves Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees
9 hours -
StarLife Assurance supports Global Evangelical Mission Hospital with medical supplies
10 hours -
Benjies outdoors catchy thematic narrative on debut EP ‘TRI’
11 hours -
Skin and body enhancement, the emerging cause of hypertension
11 hours -
Bawumia vows to prioritise Pwalugu Dam project and tackle energy challenges with solar power
11 hours -
Bleaching and body enhancement creams can cause hypertension – Dr Tanor
12 hours -
Bobby Banson urges separation of Attorney General and the Minister of Justice offices
12 hours -
It’s possible for Cedi to hit GH¢20 against the dollar – Sammy Gyamfi teases Bawumia’s 2024 polls slogan
12 hours -
Tamale North MP accuses Akufo-Addo of scheming to oust Kissi Agyebeng from office
13 hours -
Akufo-Addo warns journalists of potential AI dangers in misinformation
13 hours -
Will you accept financial help from your wife’s male friend? Here’s Joy listeners’ verdict
13 hours -
Arteta’s Arsenal title dream ‘still alive’
13 hours