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A growing body of research suggests that the mere presence of a smartphone (even when it's turned off, silenced, or face-down) can measurably reduce cognitive performance and learning outcomes. This phenomenon, often called the "brain drain" effect, was notably demonstrated in a 2017 study by Adrian Ward and colleagues, which found that participants performed worse on tests of working memory and fluid intelligence when their phones were within reach, compared to when phones were in another room, even though participants weren't actively using them.
The idea is that smartphones consume our attention simply by being present. Because phones are heavily associated with social connection, notifications, and entertainment, part of the brain remains subconsciously oriented towards them. We are constantly monitoring for buzzes, resisting the urge to check them, or simply thinking about missed messages. This constant attention diversion takes away from our cognitive resources for critical thinking, comprehension, and problem solving abilities.
Especially in the classroom setting of young people, these effects are even more severe. The brains of young students are still highly plastic, meaning that they are highly susceptible to influence. With the presence of phones, they are becoming addicted to the constant dopamine hit associated with phones, which takes their energy away from critical learning.
The invention of the phone was a major invention that humanity was not prepared for. Species take many millions of years to evolve, and so there was no way that humanity would have been able to evolve in time to manage the immense cognitive demand required by mobile devices.
Students having constant access to mobile devices is inevitable in this modern world. However, it is increasingly important to enforce study without close proximity to their mobile devices. We cannot remove mobile devices from students, but we must figure out ways in order to allow them to study efficiently and effectively. Thus encouraging students to study not in the presence of their mobile phone may be a method to improve student's study efficency and overall learning ability.
