In a study published in Frontiers in Computer Science, Dr. Maxi Heitmeyer, social psychologist at the London School of Economics and study author, found that putting your phone away while you have access to other connected devices isn’t enough to prevent distraction. Dr. Heitmeyer’s work in the field spans nearly a decade, although it’s this latest study that’s so enlightening.
This time, Dr. Heitmeyer set up a simulated work space where 22 individuals were sat at a desk in front of a laptop and smartphone. With the phone easily accessible, 89% of the volunteers picked up the phone “without any notification or any sound.” When the phone was placed far enough out of reach where the volunteers couldn’t pick it up without walking to it, they used the laptop instead to perform the same activities they did on their phones, such as browsing and scrolling social media.
In short, to truly be distraction-free, people need to keep phones (and connected devices like laptops, smart TVs, smartwatches, etc.) out of reach. Experts and researchers like Dr. Heitmeyer recommend that by taking breaks and shifting our attention can help with staying productive and relaxed throughout the day.
