Email worse than pot smoking for your IQ score?

EllisDTripp · Apr 23, 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1465973,00.html

Emails 'pose threat to IQ'

Martin Wainwright
Friday April 22, 2005
The Guardian

The distractions of constant emails, text and phone messages are a greater threat to IQ and concentration than taking cannabis, according to a survey of befuddled volunteers.

Doziness, lethargy and an increasing inability to focus reached "startling" levels in the trials by 1,100 people, who also demonstrated that emails in particular have an addictive, drug-like grip.

Respondents' minds were all over the place as they faced new questions and challenges every time an email dropped into their inbox. Productivity at work was damaged and the effect on staff who could not resist trying to juggle new messages with existing work was the equivalent, over a day, to the loss of a night's sleep.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," said Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist from King's College, London University, who carried out 80 clinical trials for TNS research, commissioned by the IT firm Hewlett Packard. The average IQ loss was measured at 10 points, more than double the four point mean fall found in studies of cannabis users.

The most damage was done, according to the survey, by the almost complete lack of discipline in handling emails. Dr Wilson and his colleagues found a compulsion to reply to each new message, leading to constant changes of direction which inevitably tired and slowed down the brain.

Manners are also going by the board, with one in five of the respondents breaking off from meals or social engagements to receive and deal with messages. Although nine out of 10 agreed that answering messages during face-to-face meetings or office conferences was rude, a third nonetheless felt that this had become "acceptable and seen as a sign of diligence and efficiency".

In fact, it is a recipe for muddled thinking and poor performance, said Dr Wilson, who also called for restraint by the two-thirds of people who check work emails out of office hours and even on holiday. He said: "Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working."
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Trotsky311 · Apr 23, 2005

it would almost seem that the problem is too much stress in the new email. people gotta relax. now if i could only think of a way to do that, a way proven to be less harmful than the email itself...

"greater threat to IQ and concentration than taking cannabis..."

Duck · Apr 23, 2005

I think it's because more social people are usaully dumber
not in my case though...

MattInVegas · Apr 23, 2005

I'm voting Pro-Pot on this subject.

thrawn · Apr 23, 2005

Yea. Email and Pot dont seem to mix. One time my friend sent an...unsavory...email to all my contacts. Those British dudes are right on.

barefoot hippie · Apr 23, 2005

fucking right
damn these computers

Deleted member 17362 · Apr 24, 2005

I've seen both, I'd rather be around the person who lost it through pot anyway.

Trotsky311 · Apr 26, 2005

turns out, not so much

http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2005/04/does_email_really_re.html

Maggie Sugar · Apr 28, 2005

I saw this on TV the other day, and was laughing so hard. BUT the results are only true for adults. Kids and teens have none of the side effects (are our children all ADHD, or good multitaskers?)

Doziness
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What's "doziness" Ellis? I think I would like to try to get "dozy." (I'm just messing with you.)

It may be true. We got cable access yesterday (hell of a time with the RUDE "customer service people" in Canada, who lied four times about when the installers were coming, but I am not going to go into that.) I then spent hours trying to get everything set up, because the system was down when the installers were here, and I had to do it myself, with coaching from a supervisor on the phone. I felt like I was wasted after that. Maybe it's true. Maybe we'll have to ask the pharmacist to get our internet access from behind the counter, like sudafed. (Man, I think I am still wasted from all this internet stuff.) I felt messed up, but I don't know if my IQ dropped.

I still don't know if I beleive pot drops your IQ.

Syntax · Apr 28, 2005

So, while doing the IQ test they were sending people e-mail. Does this mean that when testing pot's effect on IQ, they gave the test to high people?

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