If you take a moment to observe your surroundings, I can guarantee that you will notice individuals engrossed in their smartphones. Isn’t that true? But did you know that simply having your phone in the same room as you can impair your cognitive abilities? There is a growing body of research indicating that smartphones can alter how our brains function!

When the iPhone launched in 2007, it introduced a fresh experience in mobile communication. A large, responsive touchscreen interface transformed how users interacted with their devices, making tasks such as web browsing, swiping, tapping, scrolling, zooming, and accessing the app store more efficient and intuitive. Before we realised it, most of us had immersed ourselves in a 2D virtual reality, a distinct world and perspective accessed through a screen. People have become attached to smartphones, not knowing there is a darker side to the experience, according to science.

While there is still much to learn about the long-term cognitive impact of smartphones, there is scientific evidence that should give us pause. If you have ever experienced the ‘phantom buzz’ or feel anxious when you haven’t checked your phone in a while, it is evident that something peculiar is happening. But what exactly are smartphones doing to our minds and personalities?

In the past, memorising phone numbers or paying attention to math class was a necessity due to teachers’ restrictions on calculators. Cab drivers had to navigate streets without GPS, strengthening their mental muscles and physically enlarging their hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre, which aids learning and emotional processing.

In today’s world, we depend heavily on our devices as memory aids. Recent research suggests that this over-reliance on smartphones may have negative consequences. A 2021 study revealed that excessive smartphone use can shrink the hippocampus, especially in young, developing brains. Other studies have also shown that chronic smartphone users have lower grey matter volumes in specific brain regions, which could increase the risk of depression, schizophrenia, and dementia.

Research shows that regular exercise can improve memory skills and counteract the effects of hippocampus shrinkage. Physical activity can increase grey matter and enhance retention, while actively challenging memory skills can improve cognitive function and mental acuity.

In her book How to Break Up with Your Phone, Katherine Price cautions against the myth of multitasking, revealing that only 2.5 percent of individuals can effectively multitask. She highlights the perils of constant partial attention, such as glancing at your phone during a discussion or browsing social media while watching television. Multitasking can impair cognitive health, inhibit profound thinking, and foster a misguided sense of urgency, ultimately impeding the brain’s capacity to encode information into long-term memory.

Research shows that between 2019 and 2023, average mobile screen time increased by 23 percent, from two hours and 56 minutes to three hours and 46 minutes. The average user now checks their phone 96 times per day. Studies published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging confirm that excessive smartphone use can resemble addiction, weakening vital brain networks that control functions such as attention and impulse control.

A study in 2022 found that when we read from a screen, our understanding goes down, even if the text is the same as on paper. Too much screen reading and always using a smartphone can make it hard to understand what we read, stay focused, solve problems, and think critically.

Individuals need to set boundaries with their smartphones and prioritise self-care to prevent the negative effects of technology overload.

— The writer is an Innovations Evangelist and a PhD Candidate; [email protected]