In a little over a decade, smartphones escalated quickly from a luxury novelty to an everyday carry essential. They’ve become as pedantic (and vital) as our car keys, credit cards, and IDs. But they’re not without their risks.
Sure, they offer access convenience and connectivity – and can still make phone calls – but they’re also a constant distraction. New research out of the University of the Arts London explores how their omnipresence threatens workplace productivity, and maybe even explains how device proximity influences our behavior and manages our time.
Methodology – and Results
Senior lecturer of psychology Maxi Heitmayer conducted an experiment with nearly two dozen participants to better understand our relationship between smartphone access and work patterns. The study participants attended two five-hour knowledge work sessions, one with their smartphone nearby and another with their phone tucked away somewhere out of reach.
The results shed light on how we use our smartphones and what (if anything) it does to our productivity.
Heitmayer found that when smartphones were within immediate reach, participants spent nearly twice as much time using their phones. Specifically, participants engaged with their smartphones 14 minutes longer (on average) per session when the device sat within easy reach. Two other things worth noting:
- How long they interacted with their phones each time remained about the same.
- But the study participants checked their phones nearly three times as often.
But that didn’t necessarily translate into increased productivity. Sure, they used their phones less often. But then they turned around and spent that extra time engaging in non-work activities on their computers instead. As a result, the time spent working (or not) remained the same regardless of where their phones were. The participants simply switched over to their computers to scour their social feeds, message friends, or watch Frenchie videos.
Of Notifications and Other Disruptions
Heitmayer also took a closer look at the role of notifications. To Heitmayer’s surprise, the participants didn’t receive as many notifications as he’d expected during their sessions. And their interruptions didn’t significantly influence total smartphone usage time. In the cases that included more frequent interruptions, the participants went out of their way to check their phones when they were “inaccessible.” This, Heitmayer reasoned, suggested that users rely on visual cues like screen glances when devices are within reach.
“We tend to think smartphones are disruptive – that they’re constantly ringing and vibrating with notifications – and a lot of time and money goes into designing phones that are less distracting,” Heitmayer said. “However, my research shows smartphones only initiate about 11% of the interactions we have with them. The other 89% of the time, we initiate the interaction. When we have a spare few minutes or we switch tasks, we check our phones.”
The study revealed that participants were aware of their increased smartphone usage when they had easy access to their device. While they accurately estimated phone usage in the inaccessible condition, they still dramatically underestimated their interactions when their phone was within reach. This disconnect reinforces the habitual nature of our smartphone use and how difficult it can be for us to recognize these behaviors.
Workplace Implications
The study results suggest that placing a smartphone out of immediate reach – maybe in a drawer or a coat pocket – can curb our habitual phone-checking.
That being said, the study revealed that even when we limit our smartphone access, our productivity doesn’t necessarily take a corresponding leap. Workers tended to replace smartphone distractions with computer-based leisure activities, resulting in similar work patterns.
Heitmayer’s research challenges the conventional wisdom that smartphone “addiction” is the leading cause of disruptions at work. Instead, he argues that ingrained behavioral patterns cause distractions at work more than the smartphone itself. All along we’ve been blaming the medium – not the message.
As a result, Heitmayer argues that efforts to improve focus and productivity would be better aimed at fostering self-regulation strategies rather than institutional bans on smartphone use.
For employers, this research suggests that policies restricting smartphone use might not be as effective as they think. Unless, of course, strategies that promote mindful behavior and improved focus accompany those bans. Encouraging employees to manage their screen time consciously could be more beneficial than simple bans.
Even so, Heitmayer insists we should start even sooner.
“In the same way that cars are beneficial, we don’t just let anyone use them, we’re taught how to drive safely so we don’t cause harm. The same applies to smartphones. They’re a powerful tool and we need to teach people – starting from when they’re very young – how to use them,” he explained. “There’s some great work being done on internet literacy and teaching kids to use the internet safely. I argue children also need to be taught, not just about the content of what’s online, but how they access it and how often – for want of a better term, I’ve called this attention literacy. We need to develop and share techniques so people can self-manage their phone use.”
Further Reading
Chronic Smartphone Use Linked to Teen Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia
No Surprise. Unplugging From Your Smartphone Is Good For You.
