Smartphone Separation Anxiety

Sherry Turtle mentioned in her book Alone Together, both teenagers and adults alike feel a sense of anxiety and discomfort when they do not have their smartphones by their sides. You would think that you are doing yourself a massive favor by leaving your smartphone behind for dinner with the family or a formal meeting, but a new study from the University of Missouri suggests that the opposite is true. 

(Image Source: Huffington Post)

Based on the study, being separated from you [phone] can lead to physiological anxiety and poor cognitive performance. According to Russell Clayton, a doctoral candidate at the MU School of journalism and lead author of the study, says "our findings suggest that [phone] separation can negatively impact performance on mental tasks. Additionally, the results from our study suggests that [phones] are capable of becoming an extension of our selves such that when we separate, we experience a lessening of "self" and a negative physiological state." 

This is quite strange to say the least. Some might argue that this is basically a type of cell-phone addiction. However, the solution isn't exactly what you might think as suggested by USA Today: Keep your phone close when completing tasks that involve a lot of attention, or so they suggest.