Txt, email reduce IQ more than pot

Workers distracted by phone calls, emails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study revealed.

The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic.

But the fact that people constantly break their concentration in order to answer and check these messages shows Britons are obsessed with technology.

Almost two out of three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday, according to the survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

Half of all workers respond to an email within 60 minutes of receiving one while one in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.

The survey, in which 1,100 Britons were quizzed, revealed that nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude.

Three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

But the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages with getting on with normal work took its toll.

In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King’s College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day.

He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points — the equivalent to 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," Wilson said.

"We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness.

"Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working," he said.

Dr. Wilson said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took part in the tests.

David Smith, from Hewlett Packard, said, "The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour ‘always on’ society.

"This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact on businesses."