Smartphone Addiction and Its Effects on Cognitive Functions: An Investigation of Short-term Memory among Medical Students

Introduction: Smartphone addiction has become an unavoidable topic due to the rise in smartphone usage. This study aims to explore whether a correlation exists between performance, memory and smartphone addiction. Materials and Methods: The research has been designed with the objective of examining the effects of smartphone overuse on cognitive functions, specifically verbal, visual and spatial memory, while also identifying potential academic implications. A sample size of 196, with a 10% non-response rate, led to a total of 218 participants, and we ultimately collected data from 230 MBBS students at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad. The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) has been employed to measure the level of addiction and correlate it with verbal, visual and spatial memory. Results: The results have revealed significant findings, with a χ 2 = 72.68 indicating a clear correlation between high smartphone usage and its impact on visual memory, suggesting that considerable cognitive impairment exists. These findings imply that smartphone overuse affects cognitive functions, particularly leading to forgetfulness, which consequently influences students’ performance levels. Conclusion: Given the increased reliance on smartphones, there is a growing need to investigate potential academic implications. Raising awareness about these implications could help reduce cognitive impairment caused by the overuse of smartphones overuse.