Introduction
The three sources to be used in this essay focus on how the presence of cell phones affects people’s brains. One of the publications is titled cell phones in the classroom: expected (and unexpected) effects and was written by Andrew Watson. The next article is your smartphone reduces brain power, even if it is just sitting there was written by Robinson Meyer. The last is a journal article called brain drain: the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity which was written by Adrian Ward et al. This essay will provide a summary and comparison of the three articles.
Summary of the Sources
Cell phones in the classroom: expected (and unexpected) effect is an article that discusses the effects of the location of a smartphone on attention. In the article, the authors base their arguments on the result of the study by Adrian Ward et al. The research showed that a cell phone on the desk reduced the working memory capacity. There is an indication that most people are not aware that the phone is interfering with their cognition (Watson). The source concludes that attention is complex and involves different aspects. Working memory can be viewed as the second piece of attention because people use it to keep out distractions.
Your smartphone reduces your brainpower, even if it is just sitting there is an article that highlights the problem of people having their phones close to them every time. Through the author’s own experience, it is evident how the phone affects people’s thinking. The article notes that phones feed the emotions of individuals which can distract them from their real purpose. The review also bases its argument on the study by Adrian Ward et al. The source details the results of the study which confirm that being close to a smartphone interferes with a person’s attention. These findings are backed up by psychologists who affirm that people will be drawn to attractive objects (Meyer). It takes significant mental energy to maintain attention and focus in the face of a desirable distractor.
Brain Drain: the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity is a study by Adrian Ward et al. This paper discusses the results of a finding which investigated whether a student’s cognitive ability is affected by the presence of a smartphone. The research was conducted on 548 respondents who are undergraduate students. The results of the study confirmed that the mere presence of smartphones adversely affected working memory capacity and functional fluid intelligence (Ward et al. 149). Not many people are aware of their dependence on smartphones which means they are also not aware of the interference they are causing.
Strengths and Weakness of the Sources
One of the strengths of the article by Andrew Watson is that it draws on a research study that was done to investigate the issue of cell phones and attention. Also, Robin Meyer’s publication bases its argument on the research by Adrian Ward et al. This means that the two sources provide arguments that are based on scientific data. The third article is the research by Adrian Ward and provides the actual results of a study on brain drain caused by cell phones. Another strength is that the review by Andrew Watson provides two key insights as to the explanation of the results. Additionally, all three sources are written in simple and easy-to-read language.
The publications by Andrew Watson and Robin Meyer do not provide the data from the study. The two reviews only highlight some parts of the data which may be a problem for a reader who wants to compare the data. Readers may want to access all information in one reading which makes it important for writers to provide such information. The article by Robin Meyer does not provide insights drawn from the data at the conclusion. The journal article does not provide the limitations of the study. Limitations help future researchers when attempting to investigate similar subjects. Stating the limitations of research is a prerequisite in many academic journals.
The Connection Between the Sources
The sources are interconnected in that two of the articles apply the results of the journal publication. Robin Meyer and Andrew Watson’s papers draw on the findings of the research conducted by Adrian Ward et al. The conclusion of the study indicates that the presence of smartphones affected the working memory capacity and functional fluid intelligence (Ward et al. 149). Based on these results the two publications provide more insight into the issue of cell phones and cognitive functions. The synthesis of information is important as it creates a new way of understanding information.
Conclusions That Can Be Drawn from the Sources
Based on the sources, the presence of smartphones can affect people’s attention span which may impact their ability to concentrate. Smartphones have become a common part of life which makes doing away with them a difficult task. Students need sustained attention to grasp the ideas and concepts they are learning. The presence of smartphones in classes can hinder the development of students because they affect their attention span. Students will be pressed to check their phones for notifications from social media platforms.
Works Cited
Meyer, Robinson. “Your Smartphone Can Reduce Your Brainpower, Even If It’s Just Sitting There.”The Atlantic, 2017.
Watson, Andrew. “Cell Phones in the Classroom: Expected (and Unexpected) Effects |Education & Teacher Conferences.”Learning and the Brain, 2017.
Ward, Adrian F., et al. “Brain drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity.” Journal of the Association for Consumer Research vol. 2, no. 2, 2017, pp. 140-154.