Why I Ban My Smartphone From My Room

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

939

Abstract

s purpose, 800 participants were studied who took computer-based cognitive tests. The participants were asked to do one of three things:<ul><li>Either to put the smartphone upside down on the table</li><li>or to put the smartphone in their pocket</li><li>or to leave the smartphone in the next room</li></ul>In all three cases, the notifications were turned off.It came as it had to — in the cognitive tests, the people with the smartphone on the table did the worst. The best performers were those who had their smartphones in the next room.Subconsciousness seems to play a role — even when the smartphone is just in vision, it can limit our concentration.“Your conscious mind isn’t thinking about your smartphone, but the process of requiring yourself not to think about something uses up some of your limited cognitive resources.” — Adrian Ward<p id="f503

Options

">So should you put your smartphone in another room when you’re working? Yes, you should — but that’s just the beginning.<h2 id="c416">The principle is the same everywhere.</h2>If a smartphone you use regularly can limit your concentration, so can any other object.Just look around your desk. Mine has an iPad and notes for things I need to study on it. Under it, there is a desktop PC for playing video games occasionally.Other people have snacks or even cigarettes on their desk — all these things subconsciously get our attention.The most likely thing to do is to tidy up. As the study points out, you don’t have to have an empty room — it’s enough to have distractions out of sight.Switching rooms in between is a well-known productivity trick. Try it, and leave everything you don’t need where it is — including your smartphone.</article></body>

Science suggests its mere presence makes you dumber

Of course, the smartphone is a productivity killer.

That’s why I started setting times for myself. I regularly switch to flight mode and no longer open Instagram and WhatsApp while working — but that’s not enough.

A study shows that the mere presence of our smartphones makes us dumber. For this purpose, 800 participants were studied who took computer-based cognitive tests. The participants were asked to do one of three things:

Either to put the smartphone upside down on the table

or to put the smartphone in their pocket

or to leave the smartphone in the next room

In all three cases, the notifications were turned off.

It came as it had to — in the cognitive tests, the people with the smartphone on the table did the worst. The best performers were those who had their smartphones in the next room.

Subconsciousness seems to play a role — even when the smartphone is just in vision, it can limit our concentration.

“Your conscious mind isn’t thinking about your smartphone, but the process of requiring yourself not to think about something uses up some of your limited cognitive resources.” — Adrian Ward

So should you put your smartphone in another room when you’re working? Yes, you should — but that’s just the beginning.

The principle is the same everywhere.

If a smartphone you use regularly can limit your concentration, so can any other object.

Just look around your desk. Mine has an iPad and notes for things I need to study on it. Under it, there is a desktop PC for playing video games occasionally.

Other people have snacks or even cigarettes on their desk — all these things subconsciously get our attention.

The most likely thing to do is to tidy up. As the study points out, you don’t have to have an empty room — it’s enough to have distractions out of sight.

Switching rooms in between is a well-known productivity trick. Try it, and leave everything you don’t need where it is — including your smartphone.

Psychology / Productivity

Why I Ban My Smartphone From My Room

Science suggests its mere presence makes you dumber

The principle is the same everywhere.