Are smartphones becoming a significant distraction in your workplace? A new study reveals that simply putting your phone out of reach may not be the effective solution many believe it to be.
Research conducted by a team at the London School of Economics and Political Science highlights how often individuals interact with their smartphones—approximately every five minutes. In an experiment involving 22 university students and office workers aged 22 to 31, participants were monitored while working on laptops in a controlled environment.
During the study, participants were tasked with keeping their phones either within arm’s reach or on a separate desk 1.5 meters away, requiring them to stand to check their devices. Results indicated that those with phones closer spent an average of 23 minutes on leisure activities, while those with phones further away dedicated only 16 minutes on similar activities. Interestingly, the total work duration did not increase when phones were out of reach; instead, participants shifted their leisure activities to their laptops, particularly social media use. The findings suggest that reduced phone interaction leads to longer browsing sessions on laptops.
“What’s distracting isn’t merely the device itself but the activities associated with it, such as social media or online gaming,” says a spokesperson for the research team. However, further exploration is warranted, as larger studies in varied work environments are essential to confirm these preliminary findings. The controlled lab setting may not accurately reflect the dynamics of a typical workplace, influencing work behavior significantly.
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