The Impact of Smartphone Use on Working Memory Among Young Adults

Background: Smartphone use among young adults has raised concerns about potential impacts on working memory, a core executive function essential for learning and academic performance. Objective: This literature review examines relationships between smartphone use patterns and working memory performance in young adults aged 18–35 years, with a focus on methodological advances in this field. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus identified articles published from 2007 to April 2026. Studies reporting objective or standardized measures of working memory were included that examined media multitasking, screen time, and problematic smartphone use. Results: Objectively measured normative smartphone use displays minimal consistent association with impaired working memory capacity. However, problematic smartphone use and media multitasking correlate more often with poorer performance, and these associations are frequently mediated by attentional lapses and impulsivity. Methodological advances including objective usage tracking and differentiation between executive function components have yielded more detailed findings than early correlational studies. Conclusions: The relationship hinges crucially on usage behaviors and measurement exactness. Current evidence does not support claims that moderate smartphone use permanently reduces working memory capacity, even though specific contexts, including problematic use or heavy multitasking, may impair performance.