Maths Mathisen, CEO and co-founder at Hold (www.holdstudent.com), an app that rewards students for choosing to ignore their mobile phone while studying, comments:
It's less stressful
Improves productivity
Numerous studies have been conducted on the effect of smartphones and productivity. For example, a 2017 study by the University of Texas, found that smartphones have a ‘brain drain’ effect, as they can affect intelligence and attention span, just by being on the participant’s desk. Similarly, the University of California Irvine found that if we get distracted from a task by a mobile phone notification, it takes us an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully regain our focus. By putting your phone in a different room while you revise, you will increase your productivity dramatically, leading to better exam grades!
Gives your memory a boost
Many of us might find ourselves craving a short break during revision, so we reach for our smartphones and begin to scroll through social media. However, refreshing your newsfeed and browsing Instagram is actually proven to impact your memory. Scientists at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden found that as we browse social media, the brain becomes overwhelmed with information, which makes it harder to keep track of things that you are meant to remember.
Helps you sleep
It is well-documented that the light from your mobile phone increases the amount of time it takes for you to fall asleep every night. However, a study by Murdoch University in Perth found that late-night text message and browsing could reduce the quality of sleep, result in depressive moods and even lowers our self-esteem. So make sure you get the rest and relaxation you need, especially the night before an exam, and switch off your phone!
Outpouring of creativity
Our productivity can essentially be divided into two parts - creating and consuming. When we are on our phones, surrounded by social media, updates and notifications, we are consuming information. However, when we focus on the work in front of us, working on essay prep or figuring out a problem, we are creating. Research has been done to prove that multitasking is difficult for the brain and reduces creative output, so make sure to put your phone down if need your mind to focus and get creative with your revision!
Less stress
According to a study by the University of Illinois, constantly checking social media has been linked to feeling more stressed, especially as we compare our lives ot the ‘perfect’ lives of others on social media. While we are revising someone else might be enjoying a long holiday, or going out with friends, leaving us feeling left out and stressed. However, when you unplug from your phone, the feelings of stress will ebb away and you will be able to better focus,, producing work to a higher standard as a result.
And if you have to get distracted…
Get distracted in a way that will help you learn! Instead of binging on Netflix or checking Instagram, listen to a podcast or an audiobook. Micro-learning app and platform Blinkist (www.blinkist.com) is a great tool with thousands of non-fiction books made into books-in-blinks, to help you learn about anything from politics and science, through to relationships and psychology.