
Feeling a little nervous or depressed in the absence of your iPhone? If so, you're not alone. According to a new study from researchers at the University of Missouri, iPhone separation is linked to "physiological anxiety."
It may sound like a joke but it's not. The UM study finds that cell phone separation can have serious psychological and physiological effects on iPhone users, "including poor performance on cognitive tests."
The results are so compelling that researchers strongly encourage iPhone users to not part with their phones at any point in the day where they may be in situations that involve a "great deal of attention, such as taking tests, sitting in conferences or meetings, or completing important work assignments." The data indicates that being away from one's iPhone could result in poorer cognitive performance in a wide variety of tasks.
“Our findings suggest that iPhone separation can negatively impact performance on mental tasks,” says Russell Clayton, lead author of the study. “Additionally, the results from our study suggest that iPhones are capable of becoming an extension of our selves such that when separated, we experience a lessening of ‘self’ and a negative physiological state.”
A full copy of the study is available online and can be accessed here.
Source: University of Missouri
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