Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities

<!doctype html> <html lang="en" class="story-desktop ui-ie7 ui-ie"> <head prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns# fb: https://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js" /> <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.png" /> <meta name="description" content="As we become increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers, conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control, however, such fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded." /> <meta name="keywords" content="smartphone, cognitive abilities, digital technology, memory, attention, motivation" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities" /> <meta name="robots" content="noindex" /> <title>Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities | Britannica</title>  <script> !function(){"use strict";function e(e){const t=e.match(/((?=([a-z0-9._!#$%+^&*()[\]<>-]+))\2@[a-z0-9._-]+\.[a-z0-9._-]+)/gi);return t?t[0]:""}function t(t){return e(a(t.toLowerCase()))}function a(e){return e.replace(/\s/g,"")}async function n(e){const t={sha256Hash:"",sha1Hash:""};if(!("msCrypto"in window)&&"https:"===location.protocol&&"crypto"in window&&"TextEncoder"in window){const a=(new TextEncoder).encode(e),[n,c]=await Promise.all([s("SHA-256",a),s("SHA-1",a)]);t.sha256Hash=n,t.sha1Hash=c}return t}async function s(e,t){const a=await crypto.subtle.digest(e,t);return Array.from(new Uint8Array(a)).map(e=>("00"+e.toString(16)).slice(-2)).join("")}function c(e){let t=!0;return Object.keys(e).forEach(a=>{0===e[a].length&&(t=!1)}),t}function i(e,t,a){e.splice(t,1);const n="?"+e.join("&")+a.hash;history.replaceState(null,"",n)}var o={checkEmail:e,validateEmail:t,trimInput:a,hashEmail:n,hasHashes:c,removeEmailAndReplaceHistory:i,detectEmails:async function(){const e=new URL(window.location.href),a=Array.from(e.searchParams.entries()).map(e=>`=`);let s,o;const r=["adt_eih","sh_kit"];if(a.forEach((e,t)=>{const a=decodeURIComponent(e),[n,c]=a.split("=");if("adt_ei"===n&&(s={value:c,index:t,emsrc:"url"}),r.includes(n)){o={value:c,index:t,emsrc:"sh_kit"===n?"urlhck":"urlh"}}}),s)t(s.value)&&n(s.value).then(e=>{if(c(e)){const t={value:e,created:Date.now()};localStorage.setItem("adt_ei",JSON.stringify(t)),localStorage.setItem("adt_emsrc",s.emsrc)}});else if(o){const e={value:{sha256Hash:o.value,sha1Hash:""},created:Date.now()};localStorage.setItem("adt_ei",JSON.stringify(e)),localStorage.setItem("adt_emsrc",o.emsrc)}s&&i(a,s.index,e),o&&i(a,o.index,e)},cb:"adthrive"};const{detectEmails:r,cb:l}=o;r()}(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel"> window.$UI = {}; window.Constants = {"LICENSE_URL": "/bps/license","DEFAULT_TEST_VERSION": "A","DEFAULT_STATE": "XX","QUIZ_URL": "/quiz","SPOTLIGHT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/spotlight","CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8","TOPIC_FACTS_DATA_URL": "/facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_IMAGE_QUIZZES": "images","TOPIC_MEDIA_PATH": "/images-videos","USER_PROFILE_URL": "/user","DEBUG_URL": "/debug","ONE_GOOD_FACT_URL": "/one-good-fact","ERROR_404_URL": "/error404","PROCON_CITED_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/ProCon-in-the-News","PROCON_URL": "/procon","TOPIC_PAGE_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/page","INFINITE_SCROLL_PREFIX_URL": "/scroll","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_BROWSE_URL": "/questions","CC_USD": "USD","domain": "britannica.com","PROCON_EDITOR_ID": "12941390","SURVEY_URL": "/survey","CATEGORY_BROWSE_URL": "/browse","STORY_BROWSE_URL": "/stories","COUNTRY_US": "US","OPEN_MEDIA_OVERLAY_PARAMETER": "/media","NEWSLETTER_SUBSCRIPTION_URL": "/newsletter-subscription","MAINTENANCE_ERROR_URL": "https://maintenance.eb.com","IMARS_EDITOR_ID": "12365882","PROFILE_EB_EDITOR_URL": "/editor","WEB_INF_RESOURCES_PATH": "WEB-INF/resources","AI_ABOUT_PAGE_URL": "/about-britannica-ai","TOPIC_ADDITIONAL_INFO_PATH": "/additional-info","SUDOKU_GAME_URL": "/games/sudoku","CC_INR": "INR","ARTICLE_PRINT_URL": "/print/article","FIRST_EDITION_URL": "/subscriber/firstedition","WW1_PORTAL_URL": "/discover/World-War-I","MENDEL_COOKIE": "__mendel","topicUrlClasses": "[topic, animal, art, biography, event, place, plant, science, sports, technology, procon, money]","DEMYSTIFIED_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/demystified","LIST_BROWSE_URL": "/list/browse","PROFILE_EXPERT_URL": "/contributor","ASSEMBLY_IMAGE_URL": "/image/assembly","DAY_IN_HISTORY_URL": "/on-this-day","DEFAULT_CURRENCY": "USD","CONTENT_TYPE_XML": "text/xml;charset=UTF-8","PORTAL_FINANCE_BROWSE_URL_PREFIX": "/money/browse","MONEY_IMARS_CATEGORY": "13000","AJAX_PREFIX_URL": "/ajax","TOPIC_BROWSE_URL": "/topic-browse","MARKETING_CONTENT": "/marketing-content","ENV_RUNTIME": "runtime","GALLERY_URL": "/gallery","topicUrlClassesList": "topic|animal|art|biography|event|place|plant|science|sports|technology|procon","CONTENT_TYPE_HTML": "text/html;charset=UTF-8","ENV_LOCAL": "override","MEDIA_OVERLAY_URL": "/media-overlay","CHATBOT_PAGE_URL": "/chatbot","NEWSLETTER_PAGE_URL": "/newsletters","ENV_DEV": "development","MEDIA_URL": "/media","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_URL": "/question","PORTAL_FINANCE_URL_PREFIX": "/money","PODCASTS_URL": "/podcasts","STAND_ALONE_VIDEO_URL": "/video","MORE_ON_THIS_DAY_URL": "/more-on-this-day","TOPIC_QUOTES_URL": "/quotes","SEARCH_PAGE_URL": "/search","PROCON_CLASS": "PROCON","KUSTOM_MENDEL_APPLICATION_ID": "1","TOPIC_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/topic","ENV_BRANCH": "branch","ERROR_URL": "/error","MAIN_VERSION": "mainVersion","TOPIC_COLLECTION_URL": "/summary","LOGINBOX_URL": "/auth/loginbox","PROCON_DEBATE_TOPICS_URL": "/procon/Debate-Topics","ONE_GOOD_FACT_BROWSE_URL": "/one-good-fact/all-good-facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_URL": "/quiz/browse","BIO_BROWSE_URL": "/browse/biographies","LIST_URL": "/list","TIGHTROPE_QUIZ_URL": "/quiz/tightrope","ALPHA_BROWSE_URL": "/sitemap","CONTENT_TYPE_JSON": "application/json","DICTIONARY_URL": "/dictionary","COBRAND_IMAGE_URL": "/image/cobrand","PROCON_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/pro-and-con-issues-in-the-news","PROCON_BROWSE_URL": "/procon","QUIZ_BROWSE_VOCAB_QUIZZES": "vocabulary-quizzes","SUBMISSION_URL": "/submission","EB_LOG_OUT": "/auth2/logout","ENV_PRODUCTION": "production","EXPLORE_PORTAL_URL": "/explore","TOPIC_AJAX_URL": "/ajax/topic","TOPIC_SUMMARY_BROWSE_URL": "/summaries","WTFACT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/wtfact","VIDEO_CHANNEL_URL": "/videos","GALLERY_BROWSE_URL": "/gallery/browse","CACHE_URL": "/cache","PROCON_ABOUT_URL": "/procon/About-ProCon","COMPANION_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/companion","MEDIA_FOLDER": "/eb-media","SHOW_ALL_CONTRIBUTORS": "/additional-info#contributors","BRITANNICA_EDITORS_ID": "4419","ENV_CACHE_DISABLED": "mendelCache","CALCULATORS_BROWSE_URL": "/calculators","STORY_URL": "/story","DEFAULT_COUNTRY": "US","NAVBAR_URL": "/ajax/navbar","EB_LOGIN_URL": "/auth/eb-login","NEW_ARTICLES_URL": "/new-articles",}; window.CDN = "https://cdn.britannica.com"; window.CAM_SETTINGS_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/settings"; window.CAM_LOGIN_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/login"; window.CAM_SIGN_UP_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/registration" window.Mendel = { "config" : { "domain": "britannica.com", "page": "Story", "videoPlayerId": "UyMCoK2v", "sharedUrl": "https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities", "amuselabsUrl": "https://cdn3.amuselabs.com", "resourcesPrefixUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/[url]?v=3.133.9", "date": 20250217, "userInfo": { "type": "ANONYMOUS" ,"currency": "AUUS" ,"country": "SG" ,"state": "XX" ,"timezone": "Asia/Singapore" ,"bcomId": "25693921828028960" ,"hasAds": true ,"testVersion": "C" ,"adsTestVersion": "C" ,"consumerId": "" ,"instId": "" ,"consumerUserName": "" ,"instUserName": "" ,"cognito": null }, "tvs":{ "r":[25,25,25,25], "a": [25,25,45,5]}, "isLoggedInAsUser": false, "isPhone": false, "isDesktop": true, "logoutUrl": "/auth2/logout", "selfServiceUrl": "https://myaccount.britannica.com", "cdnUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com", "chatbotApi": "https://www.britannica.com/chat-api", "fetchOffset": 800, "mendelCookieName": "__mendel", "mendelCookie": {"surveyShown":false,"visitedTopicId":0,"currentDate":20250217}, "autocompleteToSearchPage": false,"pagesInfo": [{"url":"your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities","title":"Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities"},{"url":"nikola-teslas-weird-obsession-with-pigeons","title":"Nikola Tesla's Weird Obsession with Pigeons"},{"url":"which-waters-do-you-pass-through-when-you-sail-the-seven-seas","title":"Which Waters Do You Pass Through When You “Sail the Seven Seas”?"},{"url":"6-important-mughal-emperors","title":"6 Important Mughal Emperors"},{"url":"how-does-wi-fi-work","title":"How Does Wi-Fi Work?"},{"url":"how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-world","title":"How Many Countries Are There in the World?"},{"url":"what-was-the-super-bowls-first-blockbuster-commercial","title":"What Was the Super Bowl’s First Blockbuster Commercial?"},{"url":"the-lost-colony-of-roanoke","title":"The Lost Colony of Roanoke"},{"url":"who-was-the-woman-behind-the-statue-of-liberty","title":"Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?"},{"url":"why-do-we-give-valentine-cards","title":"Why Do We Give Valentine Cards?"},{"url":"is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real","title":"Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real?"}], "currentFeature": 10179, "storyType": "FORUM", }, "GA": {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"FORUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} }; </script> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1887621861548296"/ <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@britannica" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-131-19F4FC94/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="As we become increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers, conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control, however, such fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded."/> <meta property="og:type" content="ARTICLE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities | Britannica"/> <meta property="og:description" content="As we become increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers, conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control, however, such fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded."/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Encyclopedia Britannica" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-131-19F4FC94/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="init opengraph"> Mendel.openGraph = {"type":"ARTICLE","title":"Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities","description":"As we become increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers, conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control, however, such fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded.","imageUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-131-19F4FC94/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg","imageType":"image/jpeg","pageUrl":"https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities"}</script> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/" > <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons"> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/vendor-bundle.css?v=3.133.9" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/mendel-css.css?v=3.133.9" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/story-page.css?v=3.133.9" rel="stylesheet" /> <script type="text/javascript"> if (self !== top) { top.location = self.location; } </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/at.js?v=3.133.9" async ></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> </head> <body data-leg="C" class="popular-topics-story user-ANONYMOUS user-ads md-desktop leg-c b-ie">  <script>Mendel.config.adProvider='cafemedia';</script> <script data-no-optimize="1" data-cfasync="false"> (function(w, d) { w.adthrive = w.adthrive || {}; w.adthrive.cmd = w. adthrive.cmd || []; w.adthrive.plugin = 'adthrive-ads-manual'; w.adthrive.host = 'ads.adthrive.com';var s = d.createElement('script'); s.async = true; s.referrerpolicy='no-referrer-when-downgrade'; s.src = 'https://' + w.adthrive.host + '/sites/61575e5c934c481d714b3ca9/ads.min.js?referrer=' + w.encodeURIComponent(w.location.href) + '&cb=' + (Math.floor(Math.random() * 100) + 1); var n = d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n); })(window, document); </script> <div class="ie-warning d-flex align-items-center align-self-center justify-content-center site-alert bg-orange"> <div> You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <a class="text-white text-underscore" href="https://browsehappy.com/">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience and security. </div> </div> <script id="json-navbar-info" type="application/json"> {"topSectionLinks":[{"title":"Ask the Chatbot","url":"/chatbot","navbarId":"CHATBOT"},{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse","navbarId":"QUIZZES"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","navbarId":"HISTORY"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech","selected":true,"navbarId":"SCIENCE"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies","navbarId":"BIOS"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature","navbarId":"ANIMALS"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel","navbarId":"GEOGRAPHY"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture","navbarId":"ART"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon","navbarId":"PROCON"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money","navbarId":"MONEY"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos","navbarId":"VIDEOS"}],"selectedSuperCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"selectedNavbarLink":{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech","selected":true,"navbarId":"SCIENCE"}} </script> <script id="json-hamburger-menu" type="application/json"> {"britannicaMenu1":[{"title":"Home","url":"/"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money"}],"britannicaMenu2":[{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos"},{"title":"On This Day","url":"/on-this-day"},{"title":"One Good Fact","url":"/one-good-fact"},{"title":"Dictionary","url":"/dictionary"},{"title":"New Articles","url":"/new-articles"}],"browseByCategory":[{"title":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},"links":[{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"},{"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/browse/Philosophy-Religion"},{"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/browse/Politics-Law-Government"},{"title":"World History","url":"/browse/World-History"}]},{"title":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},"links":[{"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/browse/Health-Medicine"},{"title":"Science","url":"/browse/Science"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/browse/Technology"}]},{"title":{"id":3,"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},"links":[{"title":"Browse Biographies","url":"/browse/biographies"}]},{"title":{"id":1,"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},"links":[{"title":"Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates","url":"/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates"},{"title":"Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates","url":"/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates"},{"title":"Environment","url":"/browse/Environment"},{"title":"Fossils & Geologic Time","url":"/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time"},{"title":"Mammals","url":"/browse/Mammals"},{"title":"Plants","url":"/browse/Plants"}]},{"title":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},"links":[{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/browse/Geography-Travel"}]},{"title":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},"links":[{"title":"Entertainment & Pop Culture","url":"/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture"},{"title":"Literature","url":"/browse/Literature"},{"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/browse/Sports-Recreation"},{"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/browse/Visual-Arts"}]}],"browseByFeature":[{"title":"Companions","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"Image Galleries","url":"/gallery/browse"},{"title":"Lists","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Podcasts","url":"/podcasts"},{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"Summaries","url":"/summary"},{"title":"The Forum","url":"/stories/the-forum"},{"title":"Top Questions","url":"/question"},{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"}],"moreFromBritannica":[{"title":"Britannica Kids","url":"https://kids.britannica.com/","newTab":true}],"menuType":"DEFAULT"} </script> <header id="header" class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="global-nav-top-bar"> <div class="grid gx-0 h-100 justify-content-between align-items-center container-lg mx-auto p-0 position-relative"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <button class="d-flex align-items-center justify-self-start js-toggle js-toggle-hamburger btn btn-link link-white btn-sm rounded-0 p-10"> <div class="hamburger-tooltip"> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24" id="nav-toggle" data-icon="menu"></em> </div> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24 global-nav-search-icon" id="nav-search-icon" data-icon="search" ></em> </button> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center ml-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-logo global-nav-logo-left" /> </a> <div class="global-nav-top-search-bar global-nav-top-search-container global-nav-search-container" id="global-nav-top-search-bar"> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-center global-nav-logo non-homepage-logo" /> </a> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small global-nav-center search global-nav-center-search-container"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> <div class="col-35 col-sm-auto text-right order-3 mr-lg-15 align-items-center d-flex justify-content-end"> <div class="d-none d-md-inline-block"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2 marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=evergreen-cap" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-orange py-5 mr-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> SUBSCRIBE </a></SPAN></div> <div class="d-inline-block d-md-none mr-5 mr-sm-10"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=evergreen" class="subscribe-link btn btn-xs btn-orange p-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> SUBSCRIBE </a></SPAN></div> <button class="js-toggle-user-dropdown js-toggle btn btn-sm btn-link link-white rounded-0 px-md-15 pl-5 pr-5"> <span class="d-none d-md-inline-block mr-5">Login</span> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block d-md-none font-16 font-sm-20" data-icon="account_circle"></em> <div class="d-none dropdown-menu-subscription-link">https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=nav-login-box&utm_campaign=evergreen</div> <em class="material-icons inactive-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_up"></em> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none hamburger-menu-subscription-link"><DIV class="marketing-HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=evergreen" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-orange py-5" target="_blank"> SUBSCRIBE </a></DIV></div> <div id="global-nav-react"> <div class="d-none"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a></li> <li><a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a></li> <li><a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a></li> <li><a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a></li> <li><a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/procon">ProCon</a></li> <li><a href="/money">Money</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a></li> <li><a href="/videos">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="/on-this-day">On This Day</a></li> <li><a href="/one-good-fact">One Good Fact</a></li> <li><a href="/dictionary">Dictionary</a></li> <li><a href="/new-articles">New Articles</a></li> </ul> <a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/World-History">World History</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Technology">Technology</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/biographies">Browse Biographies</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates">Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates">Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Environment">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time">Fossils & Geologic Time</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Mammals">Mammals</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Plants">Plants</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/stories/companion">Companions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/demystified">Demystified</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/browse">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="/list/browse">Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/podcasts">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/spotlight">Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/summary">Summaries</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/the-forum">The Forum</a></li> <li><a href="/question">Top Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/wtfact">#WTFact</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://kids.britannica.com/">Britannica Kids</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </header> <div class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="container-lg p-0 d-flex justify-content-center global-nav-categories-bar overflow-hidden"> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 global-nav-slider category-snap-slider"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex font-14 overflow-hidden text-nowrap mx-5"> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-CHATBOT " href="/chatbot">Ask the Chatbot</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-QUIZZES " href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-HISTORY " href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-SCIENCE selected selected" href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-BIOS " href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ANIMALS " href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-GEOGRAPHY " href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ART " href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-PROCON " href="/procon">ProCon</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-MONEY " href="/money">Money</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-VIDEOS " href="/videos">Videos</a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <main> <div class="md-page-wrapper"> <div id="content" class="md-content"> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"headline":"Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities","image":{"url":"https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-131-19F4FC94/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg","@type":"ImageObject"},"author":[{"name":"Lorenzo Cecutti","url":"https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Lorenzo-Cecutti/12757202","@type":"Person"},{"name":"Spike W. S. Lee","url":"https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Spike-W-S-Lee/12757203","@type":"Person"}],"keywords":"Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities","url":"https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities","description":"As we become increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers, conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control, however, such fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded.","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"} </script> <main id="story-container" class="FORUM"> <div class="story-content"> <div class="story-content story-container qa-content" data-bc-category="Technology" data-feature-id="10179"> <div class="md-article-container"> <div class="feature-container container-lg p-0 pb-40 p-md-20"> <aside class="d-none d-lg-block feature-left-rail p-20 pb-60 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="feature-section"> <div class="label mb-15 font-serif">Discover</div> <div class="mobile-carousel-items"> <ul class="pl-0 lr-image-list font-14 m-0 mb-30 d-flex flex-md-column slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden discover"> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/history-of-technology-timeline" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/history-of-technology-timeline">History of Technology Timeline</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/gadgets-and-technology-fact-or-fiction" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/29/172929-131-5AAB8A77/businessman-touch-screen-tablet-Corporate-Business-Display.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="White male businessman works a touch screen on a digital tablet. Communication, Computer Monitor, Corporate Business, Digital Display, Liquid-Crystal Display, Touchpad, Wireless Technology, iPad" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/gadgets-and-technology-fact-or-fiction">Gadgets and Technology: Fact or Fiction?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/how-does-wi-fi-work" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/197118-131-00A7D6AF/Computer-Code-Binary-Internet-Password-Data-Technology.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Binary Computer Code, Binary Code, Internet, Technology, Password, Data" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/how-does-wi-fi-work">How Does Wi-Fi Work?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/196471-131-8FEA8DDD/Daily-Police-Bulletin-Elizabeth-Short-Black-Dahlia-January-1947.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/americas-5-most-notorious-cold-cases-including-one-you-may-have-thought-was-already-solved">America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/195407-131-BF6F47C2/Illustration-Spontaneous-human-combustion.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Illustration for Demystified "Spontaneous human combustion"." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real">Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/nikola-teslas-weird-obsession-with-pigeons" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/13/173513-131-C6E1BD52/mourning-dove-North-America.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="bird. mourning dove. pigeon and dove. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) family Columbidae." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/nikola-teslas-weird-obsession-with-pigeons">Nikola Tesla's Weird Obsession with Pigeons</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/6-important-mughal-emperors" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/172209-131-02E18D09/Shah-Jahan-watercolour-gold-ink-paper-1690.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/6-important-mughal-emperors">6 Important Mughal Emperors</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/what-was-the-super-bowls-first-blockbuster-commercial" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/70/218970-131-6D978E0D/Atlanta-Georgia-Mercedes-Benz-Stadium-Superbowl-LIII-2019.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="January 21, 2019: Superbowl LIII will be played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, February 3, 2019 against the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/what-was-the-super-bowls-first-blockbuster-commercial">What Was the Super Bowl’s First Blockbuster Commercial?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/10-democrats-who-made-history" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/89/164789-131-D3197AD4/Barack-Obama-2012.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/10-democrats-who-made-history">10 Democrats Who Made History</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/the-lost-colony-of-roanoke" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/191439-131-59FE0A72/John-White-word-tree-CROATOAN-Roanoke-Island-1590.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="The Lost Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina, where 115 people mysteriously disappeared c. 1590. John White discovers the word Croatoan carved onto a tree upon his return to the deserted Roanoke Colony in 1590" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/the-lost-colony-of-roanoke">The Lost Colony of Roanoke</a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </aside> <div class="reading-channel"> <div class="grey-box w-100 grey-box-middle"> <div class="grey-box-content mx-auto w-100"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 1, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/stories/the-forum", "name": "The Forum" } } , { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 2, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/stories/the-forum/Technology", "name": "Technology" } } ] } </script> <nav class="breadcrumb mt-20 mb-30"> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a href="/" class="link-gray-600">Home</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/stories/the-forum">The Forum</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/stories/the-forum/Technology">Technology</a> </span> </nav> <div class="mb-5"> <a class="SCIENCE font-weight-semi-bold super-category-badge rounded font-14" href="/Science-Tech"> Science & Tech </a> </div> <div> <div class="d-block d-md-none md-feature-tools float-right mb-15" style="right:20px" data-feature-id="10179"> <button class="js-tooltip-actions ml-10 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> Actions </button> <div class="md-actions-popover popover popover-sm py-5 px-0 dropdown-menu"> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=10179] .sm-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="sm-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Cecutti, Lorenzo, Lee, Spike W. S." data-authors-initial="Cecutti, L., Lee, S.W.S." data-title="Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities" data-published-date="8 Sep. 2021" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=10179] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities">https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mb-5">Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities</h1> <div class="d-none d-md-flex my-15"> <div class="mr-5"> <button class="qa-print-button md-print-button btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="print"></em> Print </button> </div> <div class="mr-5"> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal="[data-feature-id=10179] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Cecutti, Lorenzo, Lee, Spike W. S." data-authors-initial="Cecutti, L., Lee, S.W.S." data-title="Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities" data-published-date="8 Sep. 2021" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities">https://www.britannica.com/story/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber--digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitiveabilities</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-12"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Lorenzo-Cecutti/12757202" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Lorenzo Cecutti</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Lorenzo Cecutti is a PhD Candidate, Marketing, University of Toronto.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Lorenzo Cecutti</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Spike-W-S-Lee/12757203" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Spike W. S. Lee</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Spike W. S. Lee is Associate Professor, Management and Psychology, University of Toronto.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Spike W. S. Lee</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164485/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important"><article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="2"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-004-278F323D/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/222356-004-278F323D/geography-travel-health-medicine-science-technology.jpg" alt="Mendel third-party content placeholder. Categories: Geography & Travel, Health & Medicine, Technology, and Science" data-width="550" data-height="413" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Patrick O'Neill Riley</cite></figcaption></figure> <p class="topic-paragraph"><em>This article is republished from <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/us" data-show-preview="true">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/your-smartphone-is-not-making-you-dumber-digital-tech-can-enhance-our-cognitive-abilities-164485" data-show-preview="true">original article</a>, which was published August 30, 2021.</em></p><span class="MOD1"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Digital technology is ubiquitous. We have been increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers over the past 20 years, and this trend has been accelerating due to the pandemic.</p><span class="MOD2"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Conventional wisdom tells us that over-reliance on technology may take away from our ability to remember, pay attention and exercise self control. Indeed, these are important cognitive skills. However, fears that technology would supplant cognition may not be well founded.</p><span class="MOD3"></span> <h2 id="refd2895819e28">Technology alters society</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">Socrates, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/" data-show-preview="true">considered by many to be the father of philosophy</a>, was deeply worried about how the technology of writing would affect society. Since the oral tradition of delivering speeches requires a certain degree of memorization, he was concerned that writing would eliminate the need to learn and memorize.</p><span class="MOD4"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph"><a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/phaedrus.html" data-show-preview="true">Plato famously wrote, quoting Socrates</a>:</p><span class="MOD5"></span> <blockquote>If men learn this, it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.</blockquote> <p class="topic-paragraph">This passage is interesting for two reasons. First, it shows that there was an intergenerational discussion concerning the impact of new technologies on the cognitive abilities of future generations. This is still true to this day: <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2015/09/when-the-telephone-was-dangerous/403609/" data-show-preview="true">the telephone</a>, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://slate.com/technology/2010/02/a-history-of-media-technology-scares-from-the-printing-press-to-facebook.html" data-show-preview="true">radio and television</a> have all been hailed as harbingers of the end of cognition.</p><span class="MOD6"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">That brings us to the second reason why this quote is interesting. Despite Socrates’ concerns, many of us are still able to commit information to memory when necessary. Technology has simply reduced the need for certain cognitive functions, not our ability to execute them.</p><span class="MOD7"></span> <h2 id="refd2895819e56">Worsening cognition</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">Besides <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2012/09/12/is-an-digital-data-overload-shortening-our-attentions-spans-and-making-us-dumber/" data-show-preview="true">popular media’s claims</a>, some scientific findings have been interpreted to suggest that digital technology can lead to <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1207745" data-show-preview="true">poorer memory</a>, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/xhp0000100" data-show-preview="true">attention</a> or <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1086/691462" data-show-preview="true">executive functioning</a>. Upon scrutiny of these assertions, however, one notices two important argumentative assumptions. The first assumption is that the impact has a lasting effect on long-term cognitive abilities. The second assumption is that digital technology has a direct, unmoderated impact on cognition. Both assumptions, however, are not directly supported by empirical findings.</p><span class="MOD8"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">A critical examination of the evidence suggests that the demonstrated effects have been temporary, not long-term. For example, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1207745" data-show-preview="true">in a prominent study investigating people’s reliance on external forms of memory</a>, participants were less likely to remember pieces of information when they were told this information would be saved on a computer and they would have access to it. On the other hand, they remembered the information better when they were told it would not be saved.</p><span class="MOD9"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">There is a temptation to conclude from these findings that using technology leads to poorer memory — a conclusion that the authors of the study did not draw. When technology was available, people relied on it, but when it was not available, people were still perfectly capable of remembering. As such it would be hasty to conclude that technology impairs our ability to remember.</p><span class="MOD10"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Furthermore, the effect of digital technology on cognition could be due to how motivated someone is, rather than their cognitive processes. Indeed, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.12.006" data-show-preview="true">cognitive processes operate in the context of goals for which our motivations may vary</a>. Specifically, the more motivating a task is, the more engaged and focused we are. This perspective recasts experimental evidence showing that smartphones undermine performance on tasks of sustained attention, working memory or functional fluid intelligence.</p><span class="MOD11"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Motivational factors are likely to play a role in research results, especially considering that research participants often find the tasks they are asked to do for the study inconsequential or boring. Because there are a lot of important tasks that we carry out using digital technology, such as keeping in touch with loved ones, responding to emails and enjoying entertainment, it is possible that digital technology undermines the motivational value of an experimental task.</p><span class="MOD12"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Importantly, this means that digital technology does not harm cognition; if a task is important or engaging, smartphones would not undermine people’s ability to perform it.</p><span class="MOD13"></span> <h2 id="refd2895819e95">Changing cognition</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">To make use of digital technology, internal cognitive processes are less focused on information storage and computation. Instead, these processes convert information into formats that can be offloaded onto digital devices — like search phrases — and then re-loaded and interpreted. This kind of <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.002" data-show-preview="true">cognitive offloading</a> is like how people take notes on paper instead of committing certain information to long-term memory, or when children use their hands to help with counting.</p><span class="MOD14"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">The main difference is that digital technology helps us offload complex sets of information more effectively and efficiently than analogue tools, and it does so without sacrificing accuracy. One significant benefit is that the internal cognitive capacity that gets freed up from having to perform specialized functions like remembering a calendar appointment is freed up for other tasks. This in turn means that we can accomplish more, cognitively speaking, than we ever could before.</p><span class="MOD15"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">As such, digital technology need not to be viewed as competing with our internal cognitive process. Instead, it complements cognition by extending our ability to get things done.</p><span class="MOD16"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph"><em>Written by <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lorenzo-cecutti-1250242" data-show-preview="true">Lorenzo Cecutti</a>, PhD Candidate, Marketing, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281" data-show-preview="true">University of Toronto</a>, and <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/spike-w-s-lee-1250243" data-show-preview="true">Spike W. S. Lee</a>, Associate Professor, Management and Psychology, <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281" data-show-preview="true">University of Toronto</a></em>.</p><span class="MOD17"></span> <span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Story","templateName":"FORUM","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":10179,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/story-page.js?v=3.133.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"FORUM","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Your smartphone is not making you dumber — digital tech can enhance our cognitive abilities | Britannica