Study: Smartphones Might Be Making Us Hyperactive

If you’re bored waiting for someone, or waiting for a meeting to start, or just having a meal by yourself, your smartphone is a probably a good distraction. However it seems that our smartphones, while great for distractions, might not be so good for our attention thanks to a recently conducted study.

According to the study which was conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia, it has been suggested that our smartphones might be responsible for why some of us are finding it hard to concentrate these days. Apparently the study found that the use of smartphones could lead to hyperactivity.

The study’s lead researcher Kostadin Kushlev says, “We found the first experimental evidence that smartphone interruptions can cause greater inattention and hyperactivity – symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – even in people drawn from a nonclinical population.” The test was broken into two groups: one group with their notifications on and keeping their phones within reach, and the other with alerts off and phones kept away from them.

Unsurprisingly at the end of the week-long study, those in the former group were found to have higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity. However the good news is that this can be addressed simply be keeping alerts off and phones not within reach. Of course some of us might need our devices for work, but we guess taking a break from technology every now and then might not be a bad idea.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: study