Are you afraid of forgetting things when you use your phone to do two things? Nutritionist: Attention and sleep are key

Nutritionist Zhang Xinfang said that research has shown that if you often do two things with your mobile phone, it may be related to affecting attention, learning and memory performance; situational photos. (Picture taken from freepik)

[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] Forgetting things and forgetting things is not necessarily just old age, it may also be related to the habit of using mobile phones every day. Nutritionist Zhang Xinfang said that mobile phones themselves will not directly make people stupid. Studies have pointed out that if you scroll through short videos for a long time, frequently switch messages and notifications, your attention is constantly interrupted, and scrolling through your mobile phone before going to bed to compress your sleep, it may affect your attention, learning and memory performance. However, she reminded that such studies mainly show correlation, not causation. Therefore, it is still not possible to prove that poor cognition and performance are directly caused by mobile phones.

Frequent switching of tasks, concentration is easily interrupted

Zhang Xinfang posted on her Facebook fan page that by scrolling short videos, reading messages, responding to notifications, and then switching back to what she was doing, her brain does not really process multiple tasks at the same time, but quickly switches between different tasks. Research has found that more frequent media multitasking is associated with poorer attention and learning performance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also warned that using multiple media at the same time may affect concentration, and it may take more time and repeated practice to absorb information when studying.

Study: Short video use linked to cognitive performance

Zhang Xinfang explained that the brain can be imagined as a camera, and attention is equal to the focusing function. If information keeps popping up and sliding down to the next video, the brain will not even be able to focus completely, and it will naturally be difficult to remember the information. She said that a systematic review and meta-analysis published in "Psychological Bulletin" in 2025 included a total of 71 studies and 98,299 people. The results found that higher use of short videos was related to poorer overall cognitive performance, and the correlation with attention and inhibitory control was more obvious.

However, Zhang Xinfang reminded that this type of research mainly shows correlation, not causation, so it cannot be said directly that "short videos will definitely cause memory loss." A more precise statement is that long-term and high-frequency use of short videos may be related to poor performance of some cognitive functions, but it has not been proven that it is directly caused by mobile phones.

Lack of sleep may affect memory and learning

She also mentioned that another factor that is easily overlooked is sleep. If you always scroll through your mobile phone to watch one video after another before going to bed, and unknowingly scroll through it later and later, the problem may not be just your mobile phone. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) points out that sleep helps learning and memory, and lack of sleep may affect attention, learning and memory performance. In other words, it may not be that "mobile phones eat up memory", but that attention is constantly interrupted and sleep time is compressed, making it easier to feel stuck and forgetful the next day.

Zhang Xinfang emphasized that it is not necessary to give up mobile phones completely, but to avoid letting the brain be in the mode of rapid stimulation, switching, and rapid stimulation again for a long time. It is recommended that you start by putting down your mobile phone when eating, turning off unnecessary notifications when working or reading, and leaving a "mobile phone-free time" before going to bed. This will give your brain the opportunity to concentrate on a single task and retain enough sleep time.