Checking messages constantly makes you dumber, says study

LONDON - WORKERS distracted by telephone calls, e-mail messages and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study has shown.

It says that the repeated interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic.

The survey, commissioned by Hewlett Packard, was carried out by TNS Research and covered 1,100 Britons, CNN reported.

The research study also found that:
Almost two out of three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday.

Half of all workers respond to an e-mail message within 60 minutes of receiving one.

One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.

Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face- to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

However, the most striking finding was that the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages with getting on with normal work took its toll.

Psychiatrist Glenn Wilson of King's College at London University monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day during 80 clinical trials.

He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points.

That is the equivalent of missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the four-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

'This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,' Dr Wilson said.

The obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, could damage a worker's performance by reducing his mental sharpness, he said.

'Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working,' he said.
Mr David Smith of Hewlett Packard was quoted as saying: 'The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour 'always on' society.'