The findings of a new study from the University of Missouri seem to indicate that we may have become a little too dependent on our phones, and that being separated from them may even cause “serious psychological and physiological effects.” Researchers had groups of volunteers complete a series of puzzles while they measured their heart rates and blood pressure. When the participants were told they had to hand over their iPhones (because of “Bluetooth interference” with the equipment), the team observed a “significant increase in anxiety” and overall performance on the tests got noticeably worse.
One of the researchers explained in a press release, “The results from our study suggest that iPhones are capable of becoming an extension of ourselves such that when separated, we experience a lessening of ‘self’ and a negative physiological state.” Though, considering there’s a high likelihood that you’re reading this on an iPhone, the findings may not come as much of a surprise …
