Smartphones and attention, curse or blessing? - A review on the effects of smartphone usage on attention, inhibition, and working memory

Liebherr, Magnus; Schubert, P.; Antons, Stephanie; Montag, Christian; Brand, Matthias

doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2020.100005

Cited by 51 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…The evidence that collaboration on WhatsApp improves academic achievement progresses and corroborates recent studies reporting that WhatsApp may improve learning [2][3][4]. Furthermore, in light of contrasting studies that WhatsApp may not improve learning [5][6][7], the study exposes a replicable, measurable and quantifiable epistemology for knowing key constructs and their interrelationships, the theory, involved in learning on WhatsApp. In addition, the study furthers understanding about how to design learning with WhatsApp for improved learning.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…The final authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83164-6_11 Recent research has begun to develop such theory, but to date it remains ambivalent, as is evident in contrasting research reporting that WhatsApp may improve learning [2][3][4] and WhatsApp may not [5][6][7]. Thus, conducting scientific research on and developing theory relating to WhatsApp and academic achievement was essential for advancing the field of computers and education and its sub-fields of social media and academic achievement, mobile collaborative learning (MCL) and mobile learning (m-learning).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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WhatsApp, an Educational Computer System?

Nyembe

Howard

2021

Mobile Web and Intelligent Information Systems

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Can WhatsApp be used as an educational computer system? This question had not been answered conclusively by current research and was a global imperative for the computers and education research and practice communities given that over a quarter of the entire world's population used WhatsApp. To advance the field, educational theory and practice and to give meaning to WhatsApp in education, empirical quantitative evidence was gathered with a questionnaire to measure mobile collaborative learning on WhatsApp. The results indicated that increased collaboration on WhatsApp improved academic achievement and improving other key aspects such as active learning, trust, support, formality, interaction and interdependence enhanced collaboration and, in turn, improved academic achievement. The study advanced educational computer theory and mobile collaborative learning theory and provided evidence-based learning design guidelines for incorporating WhatsApp into learning programs for improved academic achievement.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

WhatsApp, an Educational Computer System?

Nyembe

Howard

2021

Mobile Web and Intelligent Information Systems

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“…Third, this work broadens the scholarly knowledge on the consequences of youths’ habitual smartphone use. Previous studies have separately examined the relationship between smartphone use and sleep quality [ 17 , 46 , 47 ] or memory [ 20 , 21 ]. Our study establishes an integrated model of youth habitual smartphone use, sleep quality, and memory performance, which extends previous findings mainly based on the smartphone use among adults or college students [ 46 , 48 , 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the negative impact on sleep quality, smartphones can also be a two-edged sword for youths’ memory functions. For many students, smartphones can be memory extenders and a handy storage device for facts and information [ 20 ], but too much reliance on smartphones might have a negative and lasting impact on users’ cognitive abilities, including memory [ 21 ]. Research has also identified a significant positive correlation between sleep and memory [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youths’ Habitual Use of Smartphones Alters Sleep Quality and Memory: Insights from a National Sample of Chinese Students

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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A growing body of work has been devoted to studying the smartphone addiction in youths and its impact on their lives, but less is known about the predictors and effects of youth habitual use of smartphones. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study investigates how habitual smartphone use affects sleep quality and everyday memory based on a nationally representative sample of Chinese students (N = 2298). It uses a cluster-randomized sampling with stratification of different areas, consisting of both urban and rural students aged 6–18 years from elementary, middle, and high schools across China. It found that Chinese students exhibited a habitual smartphone use, who were generally confident in using mobile devices, but few had smartphone addiction. Significant gender and age differences were identified concerning the habitual use of smartphone. Specifically, boys demonstrated higher levels of habitual use and smartphone self-efficacy than the girls. High school students showed the highest level of habitual smartphone use compared to those in elementary and middle schools. Smartphone use duration, frequency, and self-efficacy predicted the habitual use, which also led to poorer sleep quality and worse memory outcomes. Prebedtime exposure moderated the relationship between habitual smartphone uses and sleep quality. The results show that students’ habitual smartphone use had a significant impact on their health, cognition and more, even when they exhibited little smartphone addiction. The findings contribute to a better understanding of smartphone impact on school-age youths.

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“…Although we have no data to be referred to, this phenomenon could be attributed to two concurrent factors. On the one hand, the general trend towards a 'high-speed' (Rosa, 2010), 'McDonaldized' society (Ritzer, 2014), together with smartphones' overabundant media stimulation, could have quickly shifted users' attention (Liebherr et al, 2020): users install the app, quickly scan its features, realize that its use does not provide them with immediate and direct benefits, and quite fast forget about it, being ready to focus their attention elsewhere. On the other hand, a quick disaffection towards app use might also be due to poor performances of its mobility tracking features, coupled with the burden of providing validations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-selection and attrition biases in app-based persuasive technologies for mobility behavior change: Evidence from a Swiss case study

Cellina

Marzetti

Gui

2021

Computers in Human Behavior

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App-based persuasive technologies for behavior change are increasingly exploited to promote sustainable mobility • Self-selection and attrition due to the opt-in framework may affect their actual impact and bias the estimate of this impact• We analyze mobility data collected in an app-based behavior change intervention run in Southern Switzerland• Comparison with census mobility data of the reference population and analysis of app use over time show no evidence of critical biases• Further research is worth analyzing the app's actual impact and the reasons for the observed high drop-out rate

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Smartphones and attention, curse or blessing? - A review on the effects of smartphone usage on attention, inhibition, and working memory

Cited by 51 publications

References 77 publications

WhatsApp, an Educational Computer System?

WhatsApp, an Educational Computer System?

Youths’ Habitual Use of Smartphones Alters Sleep Quality and Memory: Insights from a National Sample of Chinese Students

Self-selection and attrition biases in app-based persuasive technologies for mobility behavior change: Evidence from a Swiss case study

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