E-mails poach IQ, researcher says
Excessive messages, called 'info-mania,' knock off 10 points
By Kathrine Jebsen Moore, Bloomberg News
April 25, 2005
Constant e-mailing and text messaging reduces mental ability by 10 IQ points, a
more severe effect than smoking cannabis, by distracting the brain from other
tasks, a University of London report showed.
The loss of intelligence and disruption caused by electronic "info- mania,"
costs companies millions of dollars in lost productivity each year, according
to the study by the University's Institute of Psychiatry.
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"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," said Dr. Glenn Wilson, author
of the research, in a phone interview. "Info-mania, if unchecked, will damage a
worker's performance by reducing mental sharpness. Companies should encourage a
more balanced and appropriate way of working."
The study of 1,000 adults found that their intelligence declined as tasks were
interrupted by incoming e-mails and texts. The average reduction of 10 IQ
points, though temporary, is more than double the four-point loss associated
with smoking cannabis. A 10-point drop is also associated with missing a night
of sleep, the report said.
Sixty-two percent of workers are addicted to checking messages out of office
hours and while on vacation, according to the report. A third of all adults
will respond to an e-mail immediately or within 10 minutes. One in five is
"happy" to interrupt a business or social meeting to respond to an e-mail or
text message, the study found.
"E-mails flashing on a screen distracts people, and the use of electronic
messaging should be limited," Wilson said.
Women were less affected than men. Their average decline in IQ was five points,
compared with 15 for males, suggesting women are better at multitasking, Wilson
said.
The study also surveyed opinions on messaging in the workplace. Eighty-nine
percent of workers said it's "extremely rude" to answer e-mails and phone
messages during a face-to-face meeting. Seventy-two percent were "irritated" by
work phone calls held in public places.
The Scotsman newspaper earlier reported the findings of the study, which was
commissioned by Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's second-biggest personal-
computer maker.
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