Brain Drain or Brain Drip? How Smartphones Impact Our Cognitive Performance
Exploring the real impact of smartphone presence on our mental capacities, from groundbreaking studies to recent insights.
In today’s digitally connected world, smartphones have become a constant companion for many of us. But how does the mere presence of this device affect our cognitive abilities? This question was first raised by the “Brain Drain” hypothesis, which suggests that the mere presence of a smartphone can impair our mental capacity. In this article, we will delve into the original study that introduced this hypothesis and explore the latest scientific findings that challenge its validity.
What Is the Brain Drain Hypothesis?
The Brain Drain hypothesis was introduced by a groundbreaking study published in 2017 in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. The study, titled “Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity,”¹ was conducted by psychologist Adrian F. Ward and his colleagues. Ward and his team aimed to determine whether the mere presence of a smartphone could impair cognitive performance, particularly working memory — the mental system that helps us store information about what we are currently doing.
In the study’s experiments, participants were asked to remember words while simultaneously solving maths problems, a task designed to tax working memory. Participants had their smartphones either on the table, in their pockets, or in another room. The results showed that the further away the smartphone was, the better the participants performed. This suggested that even the mere presence of a smartphone consumes cognitive resources, even if one is not actively thinking about it.
What Do More Recent Studies Say?
Since the publication of Ward et al.’s original study in 2017, other researchers have attempted to verify and confirm the Brain Drain hypothesis. One of the most comprehensive investigations is a 2022 meta-analysis by Douglas A. Parry, titled “Does the mere presence of a smartphone impact cognitive performance? A meta-analysis of the ‘brain drain effect.’”² Parry, Lecturer in Socio-Informatics at Stellenbosch University, analysed data from 27 different studies to gain a clearer picture of the actual impact of smartphone presence on cognitive performance.
Parry’s meta-analysis examined five cognitive functions: working memory, sustained attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and fluid intelligence. In total, he looked at 56 effect sizes from the 27 studies. The findings were revealing: out of the five cognitive functions, only working memory showed a statistically significant negative effect from the presence of a smartphone. No significant effects were found for the other four cognitive functions.
Not as Bad as It Seems
These findings align with the original results from Ward and his colleagues, but with an important caveat: Parry’s meta-analysis found that the negative effect on working memory was much smaller than initially thought. While Ward et al. observed a notable impact on working memory, Parry’s analysis revealed that the effect, though present, was relatively minor.
This discrepancy between the original results and the meta-analysis suggests that the mere presence of a smartphone may not be as detrimental as initially feared. The meta-analysis also raises questions about individual variability: how much a person is affected by the presence of a smartphone could depend on personal factors, such as the importance they place on their phone or their susceptibility to “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO).³ These factors could explain why some people are more affected than others.
Overall, Parry’s meta-analysis indicates that the negative impact of smartphone presence on cognitive performance is less severe than originally assumed.
Conclusion
While the original 2017 study by Ward et al. proposed that the mere presence of a smartphone could significantly impair cognitive performance, a comprehensive meta-analysis by Doug Parry in 2022 shows that the effects are less dramatic. Here are the key takeaways:
- Original Hypothesis: Ward and his colleagues’ 2017 study suggested that the presence of a smartphone reduces working memory and cognitive capacity.
- Research Methods: Ward et al. measured cognitive performance through tasks that required participants to remember words and solve maths problems while their smartphone was either nearby or farther away.
- 2022 Meta-Analysis: Doug Parry analysed data from 27 studies and found that the negative impact of a smartphone on cognitive performance, particularly working memory, is present but smaller than initially thought.
- Variability of Effects: Parry’s analysis showed that the effect on working memory was significant, but no significant effects were found for other cognitive functions.
- Practical Implications: The findings suggest that the presence of a smartphone is less impairing than expected, though individual differences may exist, depending on personal factors such as the importance of the smartphone or susceptibility to FOMO.
Parry’s meta-analysis indicates that initial concerns about cognitive impairments due to the presence of a smartphone may have been overstated. For many people, the distraction caused by smartphones is likely more of a “Brain Drip” than a “Brain Drain.”
References
[1] https://doi.org/10.1086/691462
[2] https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2023.2286647
[3] As of 2013, there is an officially psychologically validated scale for FOMO: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
This is an English translation of a blog post that was originally published in the author’s blog in German.
