Study: Emails More Damaging to IQ Than Marijuana

A British study by TNS Research revealed that workers who are distracted by phone calls, emails and text messages tend to suffer a greater loss of IQ than someone using marijuana.

Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King’s College London University, conducted 80 clinical trials for TNS Research by monitoring the IQ of workers throughout a day. He found that the IQ of those who tried to juggle work as well as messages fell by 10 points, which is the the equivalent to missing a whole night’s sleep and more than double the 4-point decrease caused by using marijuana.

“This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” stated Wilson. “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.”

The study also revealed that the IQ drop was even more significant in men.