An effort recalibration framework for digital media use and cognition

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Wiradhany, W., Parry, D., & Aru, J. (2026). An effort recalibration framework for digital media use and cognition. Nature Human Behaviour, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-026-02500-w

The ubiquity of digital media has sparked widespread debate over their potential effects on our cognition, often centred on concerns about declining cognitive capacity. We propose a framework in which digital media use may influence cognition mainly by recalibrating how effort is valued and allocated. Platforms engineered for minimal friction and immediate reward can reinforce habit loops that bias cost–benefit computations, making low-effort digital activities feel more valuable than cognitively demanding tasks such as focused work. Over time, this recalibration of effort valuation may shift effort allocation tendencies towards exploration rather than the sustained exploitation required for mastery and durable knowledge acquisition. We outline an interdisciplinary research agenda that integrates experimental, neurobiological and longitudinal approaches to empirically test this effort recalibration framework and shift the focus from whether digital media harm cognition to whether and how they reshape our willingness to invest effort in everyday life.

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