Smartphone and Brain Assertiveness

Studies related to the brain and technology are proliferating. I believe that's a good thing because it provides us with information to help us manage the downside of technology. For example, according to the Harvard Business review, research fellow Maarten Box and Amy Cuddy recently did a study comparing assertiveness and the use of desktop computers versus smartphones. Individuals who had been using smartphone-sized iPod Touch devices were 47% less likely than desktop users to get up and try to determine the reason a researcher (who had left the room to obtain paperwork so participants could be paid) had not returned. And of those who did get up and look for the researcher, the iPod Touch users took 44% longer to initiate that action than desktop users. The results suggest that maintaining a hunched posture as you use a smartphone-size device, even for just a few minutes, makes you less likely to engage in assertive power-related behaviors compared to people who have been using desktop computers. What's the take-away? Information is power. For one thing, avoid a hunched posture. Period. A hunched posture tends to contribute to shallow breathing and that's the last thing your brain needs!