Ever since the smartphone revolution of 2007, the world has been having trouble sleeping. A recent study told us what we already know. And it is a good thing to be right for once. Using a smartphone at night could reduce the amount of focus and productivity you can produce at work the next day, said a study conducted by researchers at the Michigan State University.
What’s the study all about?
Russell Johnson and his team at MSU interviewed American workers and asked how much they are using their phones past 9 pm. They also asked how they were doing at work the next day. It showed that there is a correlation between the way you use your phone past 9 pm and your performance at work when you go to the workplace the next morning. The survey somehow showed that nighttime fatigue due to excessive cellphone use impaired the focus and shortened the attention span. And to the folks that have been doing a lot of late-night web browsing on your mobile could attest this is true. People in the survey said that they were lethargic and lack energy to do their tasks at work but are oblivious that their late-night smartphone usage has something to do with it.
Are smartphones sapping our energy?
It seems that smartphone usage takes a lot of energy more than watching good old TV or even using the personal computer. The culprit is the blue light that smartphones emit especially when left at bedside. The blue light seems to disrupt sleep and cause problems that significantly lower the quality of sleep. Lack of sleep can also cause a lot of anxiety since people’s mind are always functioning and the lack of rest can vastly contribute to lower energy by morning.
Is connectivity a problem?
People can’t seem to put down the phone and forget about it. The connectivity paradigm has robbed people of valuable “me” time and forces us to be with our jobs 24/7. This is perhaps the reason why Volkswagen implemented a rule that no e-mail should be pushed to employee’s phones after they log out from work. Work stuff has no business being at home as home’s worries should stay at, home.
The study made recommendations akin to the program implemented at Volkswagen. It is also advised that people should completely shut down their phones by 9 pm. Managers can help by not pestering their subordinates with late-night emails and reminders past 9 pm perhaps. Let the workers sleep and get a nice work-life balance or risk getting less productive workers by morning.
