In the study, 51 native English speakers were invited to read expository texts of science, such as articles on how electrical circuits work, inside a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner while their eye movements and brain responses were recorded simultaneously. Their reading habits and frequency in using electronic media (e.g. smartphone, tablets, computers) were also surveyed.

Participants were asked to read scientific texts because this would require them to integrate and organise information from multiple sources for a genuine understanding of the scientific concepts. The study showed a negative correlation between the self-reported frequency in electronic device usage and brain activity in the left insula and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). These two brain regions are crucial for information processing, such as attention switching and understanding language, according to Prof. Li and his team. Lower activity in IFG and insula may suggest that the readers were not using these critical regions for comprehending the text, and for integrating the inter-connected information into a structure in the mental representation.

If people use electronic devices excessively on a daily basis, that could possibly impair their ability to construct a mental structure (e.g. with a hierarchical order) of scientific concepts,” said Prof. Li. However, he cautioned, “It’s important to note that what we are showing here isn’t causation. At this point, we are just showing correlation between these brain areas and excessive electronic device usage. Young students in schools and colleges, in particular, may be more prone to the adverse effects of e-devices on learning, due to their frequent and constant engagement with e-devices, especially texting with smartphones for social networking.

More about the research: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47176-7