Phones make people smarter.

Phones actually make people more intelligent

Phones actually make people more intelligent

Scientists have long feared that reliance on smartphones could have a damaging impact on memory but a new study shows that the devices actually enhance brain power by storing information.

Tests conducted on 158 Brits aged between 18 and 71 found that putting important details into a phone or device helped boost memory and allows them to remember unsaved facts.

Dr. Sam Gilbert, from University College London, said: "When people had to remember by themselves, they used their memory capacity to remember the most important information. But when they could use the device, they saved high-importance information onto the device and used their own memory for less important information instead.

"So far from causing digital dementia, using an external memory device can even improve our memory."

Professor Kevin McConway, at the Open University, added that using a diary can have a similar positive effect on the brain.