A new study found that putting smartphones out of reach doesn’t significantly reduce distraction or boost productivity, despite participants using their phones less when they were farther away from their workstations. The core issue lies in the deeply ingrained habits and routines people have built around their devices.
The study involved 22 participants who worked for two days in a private room with laptops and phones at minimum, without changing notification settings or controlling the notifications received. Two settings differed only by the distance between participant and phone: one on the desk, the other on a separate desk 1.5 meters away.
Participants did use their smartphones less when they were farther away, but instead of refocusing on work, they shifted their attention to laptops for non-work activities. The results showed that phones remained the preferred tool for distraction due to their multifunctionality, portability, and tactile design.
The study’s author, Dr Maxi Heitmayer, highlights the need to move beyond blaming devices and instead focus on user habits and app design. Limiting smartphone accessibility didn’t eliminate distraction; it just led to reduced usage and a shift in attention.
Heitmayer suggests that setting notifications to arrive at specific times or silencing them altogether can help users be more mindful of their time, but even with these strategies, people will likely continue to check their phones during breaks. The real issue lies with the social media apps, designed by large corporations to keep users engaged, despite causing distraction.
The study emphasizes that protecting users, particularly young ones, is crucial as these devices are incredibly useful yet come at a significant cost that many adults struggle to manage. Heitmayer urges us to focus on developing strategies to mitigate the distractions caused by our devices and promoting healthy habits.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/digital-distraction-psychology-28521