In a fast-paced world, it’s helpful to have moments where thoughts can come and go

ILLUSTRATION: SOPHIE MINTO

Have you ever looked around on a crowded train platform or in a supermarket queue and noted how many of the people around you are staring at their phones? The human brain isn’t designed to constantly process data and needs regular breaks, but increasingly, people are using even the transitional moments in their days – such as queueing at the post office, waiting for the kettle to boil or taking the lift at work – to delve back into their digital worlds. Perhaps you recognise this in yourself. Whether it’s checking emails or scrolling social media, it’s possible to be faced with a constant flow of data from the moment you wake up. And even during so-called downtime, you might swap one data stream for another, refreshing a newsfeed or responding to messages. Whatever happened to walking down that train platform and daydreaming, or taking in the world around you?

There’s mounting evidence to suggest that not giving the brain a break from processing information can adversely affect its ability to concentrate and be creative. Researchers from the University of Texas have discovered that even the mere presence of a smartphone reduces brain power. A study by the university’s McCombs School of Business measured the ability of 800 smartphone users to concentrate while their phones were within sight, face down on a desk, in their pocket or bag or in another room. Despite the phones being on silent mode, the participants’ cognitive capacity was significantly reduced whenever their phone was within sight or easy reach. Parts of their brains were actively engaged in the effort of not looking at their phones.