Study: Smartphone addiction impairs creativity

Researchers from China studied the consequences in detail smartphone addiction. Using brain imaging technology, they measured cortical responses to creative tasks. The results showed that attachment to the gadget negatively affects creativity.

A group of scientists measured creativity with the Alternative Use Test. In its framework, people were given an everyday item and 30 seconds to name as many alternative uses for it as possible. During the task, the researchers measured the brain activity of the volunteers.

According to the results of all stages of testing, people with smartphone addiction received lower scores for fluent perception of information, mental flexibility and originality of thinking.

Authors research found that the prefrontal cortex and temporal regions of the brain were less active when smartphone addicts were asked to think creatively. And for test participants who did not have addiction, the opposite pattern was observed.

In total, about 50 students of the Shaanxi Normal University aged 18 to 25 took part in the experiment. Half of them were diagnosed with severe addiction to the smartphone. None of the subjects took drugs that could affect the functioning of the nervous system, and did not have other behavioral addictions.

Research group acknowledgedthat there were some limitations in their work. For example, they did not distinguish between types of smartphone addiction. People can only be addicted to games or, for example, social networks. These differences can affect creativity and brain function. In addition, the study examined only one element of creativity, and intuitive problem solving, for example, was not assessed.

Despite these limitations, the researchers believe their study is an important addition to our knowledge of how smartphone addiction can affect cognitive functions.