7 Impacts of Email Overload on Psychological Health in the Workplace- Part IV

Lowered IQ

It seems workers are literally addicted to checking email and text messages during meetings, in the evening and at weekends. The advent of highly mobile technology offers massive productivity benefits when used responsibly, but inappropriate use can be negative for not just productivity but also for our IQ.

The findings of a recent scientific experiment reveal that those who “over juggle” and who constantly disrupt meetings and important tasks to read and respond to messages, significantly reduce their IQ.

In a series of tests carried out by Dr Glenn Wilson, Reader in Personality at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, an average worker’s functioning IQ falls ten points when distracted by ringing telephones and incoming emails.

This drop in IQ is more than double the four point drop seen following studies on the impact of smoking marijuana. Similarly, research on sleep deprivation suggests that an IQ drop of ten points is equal to missing an entire night of sleep.

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