Emails Hurt IQ More Than Pot

WORLD E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot' Friday, April 22, 2005 Posted: 8:08 AM EDT (1208 GMT) LONDON, England -- Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows. The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard. The survey of 1,100 Britons showed: Almost two out three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday Half of all workers respond to an e-mail 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. But the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages with getting on with normal work took its toll, the UK's Press Association reported. Half of workers respond to an e-mail within an hour, survey found.

A vintage CNN article claims that constant phone calls, emails, and text messages reduce workers’ IQ more than smoking marijuana. The joke comes from the exaggerated comparison and the dated panic about workplace email, making it useful as a reaction to overwhelming notifications, email overload, or distracting modern technology.

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