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Andy’s Quick Hits (263): Put Your Smartphone Down and Let your Mind Wander — You’ll Be Happier
There’s a lot been said about smartphone usage and how it can be used and abused. Most of this concern revolves around usage in children or teenagers, however, with some research saying there is less to worry about than many assume. But nevertheless, putting the smartphone, or other devices down seems to be a good idea.
This study just out though adds another interesting aspect. It revolves around affective forecasting which is our ability to predict how much we’ll enjoy something or not.
In these studies, led by Japanese researcher Aya Hatano, a total of 259 participants ranked how they thought they would enjoy just sitting and thinking by themselves. Sound like fun?
Well, not according to the participants, it does not sound like fun. And you will likely agree if you are like these participants. And that is probably one of the key reasons we tend to avoid sitting and thinking by ourselves and thereby seeking constant engagement with our devices.
However, the researchers found that people consistently reported this free thinking time as much more enjoyable than they had predicted. And this was irrespective of whether they were left to think by themselves for three minutes or 20 minutes, in a room with no…
