The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana. 

    That is the claim of psychologists who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking them for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to ten points off the user’s IQ. 

    This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavourably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have labelled the fleeting phenomenon of enhanced stupidity as “infomania”. 

    Research on sleep deprivation suggests that the IQ drop caused by electronic obsession is also equivalent to a wakeful night. 

    Infomania is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men, the study commissioned by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded. 

    The noticeable drop in IQ is attributed to the constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. 

    Workers lose productivity by interrupting a business meeting and disrupt social gatherings because of their infirmity, the report said. 

    The brain also finds it hard to cope with juggling lots of tasks at once, reducing its overall effectiveness, it added. And while modern technology can have huge benefits, excessive use can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social life. 

    Furthermore, infomania is having a negative effect on work colleagues, increasing stress and dissenting feelings. Nine out of ten polled thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude. Yet one in three Britons believes that it is not only acceptable, but actually diligent and efficient to do so. 

    The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a University of London psychologist, as part of the research project. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania, if unchecked, will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.” 

    經常收發短信和e-mail會降低人的智商。這種損害比吸食大麻對智商帶來的損害要高兩倍多。 

    心理學家發現，使用手機或敲擊電腦鍵盤發送或接收電子信息會暫時降低使用者約十個百分點的智商。 

    根gen據ju英ying國guo研yan究jiu人ren員yuan的de研yan究jiu，吸xi食shi大da麻ma會hui使shi智zhi商shang下xia降jiang個ge百bai分fen點dian
，而er與yu之zhi相xiang比bi，經jing常chang使shi用yong電dian子zi文wen本ben信xin息xi造zao成cheng的de智zhi力li衰shuai減jian率lv更geng加jia嚴yan重zhong。研yan究jiu人ren員yuan將jiang這zhe種zhong暫zan時shi變bian笨ben的de現xian象xiang稱cheng為wei“信息狂躁”。 

    關於剝奪睡眠的研究表明因為癡迷於電子產品而造成的智力衰退相當於一夜失眠。　　 

    惠普科技公司委托進行的研究結果表明
，信息狂躁主要表現在成年人身上，尤其是成年男性。 

    造成這種智力明顯衰退的原因在於當員工們應該集中精力工作時，“無處不在”的科技卻總是不斷分散他們的注意力。信息狂躁是指他們的意識近乎一直處於一種隨時對“技術”做出反應的狀態，因而無法將注意力集中在手頭的工作上。 

    該(gai)報(bao)告(gao)還(hai)補(bu)充(chong)說(shuo)大(da)腦(nao)很(hen)難(nan)同(tong)時(shi)應(ying)付(fu)許(xu)多(duo)難(nan)題(ti)，其(qi)整(zheng)體(ti)效(xiao)率(lv)會(hui)降(jiang)低(di)。此(ci)外(wai)，雖(sui)然(ran)現(xian)代(dai)科(ke)技(ji)可(ke)以(yi)給(gei)予(yu)我(wo)們(men)巨(ju)大(da)的(de)幫(bang)助(zhu)

，但(dan)過(guo)多(duo)地(di)使(shi)用(yong)科(ke)技(ji)也(ye)會(hui)給(gei)人(ren)們(men)的(de)大(da)腦(nao)和(he)社(she)會(hui)生(sheng)活(huo)帶(dai)來(lai)危(wei)害(hai)。 

    此外，信息狂躁對同事也有負麵影響，增加他們的壓力和敵對情緒。90％的de被bei調tiao查zha者zhe認ren為wei在zai麵mian對dui麵mian會hui議yi時shi回hui電dian子zi郵you件jian是shi非fei常chang無wu禮li的de行xing為wei。但dan是shi三san分fen之zhi一yi的de英ying國guo人ren不bu僅jin可ke以yi接jie受shou這zhe種zhong行xing為wei
，而er且qie覺jiao得de這zhe樣yang做zuo說shuo明ming自zi己ji工gong作zuo勤qin奮fen、高效。

    倫敦大學的心理學家Glenn Wilson博士正在做一個名為“這是一個真實的的普遍現象”的研究項目
，信息狂躁對智商的影響是其中的一個部分。他說：“如ru果guo不bu進jin行xing檢jian查zha控kong製zhi
，信xin息xi狂kuang躁zao將jiang會hui降jiang低di員yuan工gong的de精jing神shen敏min感gan度du，進jin而er影ying響xiang其qi工gong作zuo效xiao率lv。所suo以yi，公gong司si應ying提ti倡chang一yi種zhong更geng加jia平ping衡heng的de適shi當dang的de工gong作zuo方fang式shi。”