Media usage diminishes memory for experiences
Here, we examine how experiences change when people are experimentally induced to not use media, use media to record their experiences, or use media to share their experiences with others. In each study, we assess memory using a performance measure of how well participants retain the details of an experience.
Everyday moments are fleeting, but media allow us to hold onto
these moments by saving them for ourselves and sharing them with
others. These studies highlight ways in which using media impacts our
personal experiences, both in the moment and in memory. Ironically,
our results suggest that using media to preserve these moments may
prevent people from fully experiencing them in the first place. These
effects can be both substantial and sustained: media distract us from our
experiences – limiting our ability to remember the moments we so wish
to hold on to.
doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2018.01.006
Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
In two experiments, we test the hypothesis that the mere presence of one’s own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. We manipulate smartphone salience by asking participants to place their devices nearby and in sight (high salience, “desk” condition), nearby and out of sight (medium salience, “pocket/bag” condition), or in a separate room (low salience, “other room” condition).
Consumers’ limited cognitive resources shape innumerable aspects of their daily lives, from their approaches to decisions to their enjoyment of experiences. Our data suggest that the mere presence of consumers’ own smartphones may further constrain their already limited cognitive capacity by taxing the attentional resources that reside at the core of both working memory capacity and fluid intelligence.
The specific cognitive capacity measures used in our experiments are associated with domain-general capabilities that support fundamental processes such as learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving, and creativity. Because consumers’ smartphones are so frequently present, the mere presence effects observed in our experiments have the potential to influence consumer welfare across a wide range of contexts: when consumers work, shop, take classes, watch movies, dine with friends, attend concerts, play games, receive massages, read books, and more .