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有沒有發現我們的腦子越來越不靈光了。忘性大、反應遲鈍，甚至難以保持專注，這些很有可能是手機惹的禍。美國最新研究顯示，即使手機不在你的視線范圍內，并且調成了靜音模式，你的認知能力仍然會受到影響（簡直無藥可救了）。保持健康，遠離手機。
It has long been believed that the smartphones in our pockets are actually making us dumber, but now there is evidence for it.
人們一直都覺得口袋里的智能手機讓我們越來越笨了，現在有科學證據來證明了。
The constant presence of a mobile phone has a 'brain drain' effect that significantly reduces people's intelligence and attention spans, a study has found.
研究發現，手機的長期在場會產生一種“腦力流失”效應，會嚴重地降低人們的智力和專注時長。
Researchers at the University of Texas discovered that people are worse at conducting tasks and remembering information if they have a smartphone within eye shot. In two experiments they found phones sitting on a desk or even in a pocket or handbag would distract users and lead to worse test scores even when it was set up not to disturb test subjects.
德克薩斯大學的研究人員發現：當手機在視線范圍內時，人們在處理任務和記憶信息方面的表現會更糟糕。在兩組實驗中，他們發現只要手機放在桌上甚至只放在口袋或手提包里，即便設置成防干擾模式，也能讓人分心并且導致更低的測試分數。
The effect was measurable even when the phones were switched off, and was worse for those who were deemed more dependent on their mobiles.
即使處于關機狀態，手機的影響仍然很大，對嚴重依賴手機的人影響更大。
'Although these devices have immense potential to improve welfare, their persistent presence may come at a cognitive cost,' said Dr Adrian Ward, the lead author of the study. 'Even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention - as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones - the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capability.'
這項研究的主要作者阿德里安·沃德博士表示：“盡管這些電子設備可以極大地便利生活，但手機總放在身邊會導致認知能力下降。即使能夠成功保持長期注意力，也就是能抵擋查看手機的誘惑，現有的認知能力也會因手機在場而降低。”
The researchers tested 520 university students on their memory and intelligence when in the presence of a smartphone to see how it affected them.
研究人員共測試了520名大學生，通過測試他們的記憶力和智力來研究智能手機在場與否對他們的影響。
Participants were told to complete tests in mathematics, memory and reasoning with their smartphones either on their desk, in their bag or pockets, or in another room, and with alerts turned off so as not to distract students.
實驗中，手機被分別放在桌子上、包里、口袋里或其他房間，參與者在不同情況下完成了數學、記憶和推理方面的測驗。為了不打擾測試者，手機提示音都被關閉了。
Those who had their phones on the desk recorded a 10 percent lower score than those who left them in a different room on operational span tasks, which measures working memory and focus. Those who kept their phones further out of sight in their pockets or their bags scored only slightly better than when phones were placed on desks.
與手機放在其他房間的人相比，手機放在桌子上的參與者在操作時長任務方面得分要低10%，這種任務主要是考查工作記憶力和注意力。而將手機放在口袋或包里等視線之外的參與者得分僅僅比手機放在桌子上的人高一點。
The researchers found that the negative effect of having a phone within eyeshot was significantly greater among those who said they were dependent on their smartphones. Participants who had expressed sympathy with phrases such as 'I would have trouble getting through a normal day without my cellphone' and 'using my cellphone makes me feel happy' performed as well as others when their phone was in a different room, but worse when it was placed on their desk.
研究人員還發現將手機放在視線內對自稱依賴手機的人有更大的負面影響。當聽到“要是沒有手機我一天也無法正常生活”、“使用手機讓我更快樂”等話語時，有些測試者表示深有同感。當手機放在其他房間時，這些人和其他人表現得一樣好；但是當手機放在桌子上時，他們的表現卻比其他人糟糕得多。
The study also found reaction speeds to be affected, with students who had their phone on the desk responding more sluggishly in high-pace tests.
研究還發現，反應速度也會受到影響。當手機放在桌子上時，學生們在快速測驗中的反應更加遲鈍。
It even found that phones can even distract users even when they are turned off and placed face down. Those with phones outside of the room 'slightly outperformed' those with switched off devices.
研究甚至還發現：即便處于關機狀態并且面朝下放，手機也能讓人分心。實驗中，將手機放在房間外面的參與者的表現要略微勝于關機的參與者。
The researchers said the effect arises because part of a smartphone users' mind is dedicated to trying to not think about distractions such as whether they have any messages when the handset is in their line of sight.
研究人員認為，手機之所以能對認知能力產生影響，是因為當手機在視線范圍內時，手機使用者要消耗部分注意力來告誡自己不要分心，防止自己去想有沒有短信之類的問題。
'We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable, participants' available cognitive capacity decreases,' said Ward. 'Your conscious mind isn't thinking about your smartphone, but that process - the process of requiring yourself not to think about something - uses up some of your limited cognitive resources. It's a brain drain.'
沃德博士認為：“我們觀察到這樣一種線性趨勢，手機的存在感越強，參與者的認知能力就弱。你并沒有在想手機，但是這個過程，這個控制自己不去想某個事物的過程，占據了你一部分本就有限的認知力資源。這也是一種腦力流失。”
Similar research has previously showed smartphones can have a 'butterfly brain effect' on users that can cause mental blunders.
此前類似的研究表明智能手機能對使用者產生“大腦蝴蝶效應”，從而造成精神混亂。
英文來源: 每日電訊報
