Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin suggests that just having your smartphone in viewing distance lowers your cognitive capacity and overall brain power. Even if a smartphone was turned off or was put face-down, it still appeared to zap the owner’s cognitive resources. The UT Austin study really makes you wonder… what are these smartphones doing to kids’ developing brains? There is also evidence to support that smartphones and other electronic devices reduce a person’s full thinking potential. The effect of allowing electronic devices in the classroom on percent correct on classroom quizzes and a subsequent unit exam and the final exam.