Although a smartphone is useful when it comes to maintaining contact with colleagues through networks, keeping email updated and doing the most urgent tasks on the go, it also reduces productivity when we work .
It is the conclusion of a psychological experiment, commissioned by Kaspersky Lab and carried out by the Universities of Würzburg, in Germany, and Nottingham Trent, in the United Kingdom. The research authors studied the relationship between productivity levels and participants’ physical distance to their mobile phones . When respondents had their electronic device removed, their performance increased by 26%. The experiment analyzed the behavior of 95 people of both sexes and aged between 19 and 56 years from laboratories at the Universities of Würzburg and Nottingham Trent.
With the smartphone far away, concentration increases
The participants were asked to take a concentration test under four different circumstances: with their mobile in their pocket; in the table; kept in a drawer; and without the mobile. The results were significant, as the performance was clearly inferior when the smartphones were on the table. However, as there was more distance between the device and its owner, the test results improved, reaching 26% more productive when the phones were retired.
Contrary to expectations, the absence of smartphones did not make the participants nervous. Anxiety levels were stable throughout the investigation. In general, women had more stress than men, so the researchers thought that this psychological state is not affected by smartphones or their absence, but it can be affected by gender.
Previous studies have shown that depriving a person of their smartphone has negative emotional effects and increases anxiety . We now know that a mobile device can be distracting. In other words, both the presence and absence of the smartphone can alter concentration, according to Jens Binder of Nottingham Trent University. They also indicate that the absence, rather than the presence, of a smartphone improves concentration.
The results of the experiment relate to those of a previous survey on “Digital Amnesia at work”. In this report, Kaspersky Lab concluded that digital devices can have a negative impact on concentration levels and that taking notes on devices during a meeting lowers levels of understanding of what is happening at the time. Although banning digital devices at work doesn’t seem like a serious option, these findings offer companies insight into how to improve their productivity.
Perhaps the productivity of employees could increase if instead of having permanent access to their mobiles , a specific time was dedicated to it. According to Alfonso Ramírez, CEO of Kaspersky Lab Iberia, “companies should be aware that in the current scenario, low concentration levels can be a problem for cybersecurity. Advanced targeted attacks, for example, can only be discovered if employees are alert and see unusual and unexpected content in the mail. Therefore, it is vital that companies develop security processes that include training sessions to increase vigilance whether or not employees are using their smartphones . “
