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 temporarily① knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ.
This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorablywith the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana. The fleeting phenomenon of enhanced stupidity has been labeled as “infomania”.
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 noticeable② drop in IQ is attributed to the constant distraction③ 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 state④ of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand.
The brain also finds it hard to cope with juggling lots of tasks at once， reducing its overall effectiveness， the report 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.
More than six in ten of people admit that they were addicted to checking their e-mail and text messages so assiduously⑤ that they scrutinized⑥ work related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an e-mail and one in five (21 percent) will interrupt a meeting to do so.
Furthermore， infomania is having a negative effect on work colleagues， increasing stress and dissenting⑦ feelings. Nine out of ten people thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude. Yet one in three people believes that it is not only acceptable， but actually diligent⑧ and efficient to do so.
① temporarilyadv. 临时地
② noticeableadj. 显而易见的，值得注意的
③ distractionn. 娱乐，分心，分心的事物
④ permanent state永久状态
⑤ assiduouslyadv. 勤勉地，恳切地
⑥ scrutinize v. 细察
⑦ dissentingadj. (=dissentient)不同意的
⑧ diligent adj. 勤勉的，用功的，细心而继续不断的
信息狂燥
经常收发短信和电子邮件会降低你的IQ，损害程度甚至是吸食大麻对智力损害程度的两倍多。
心理学家发现人们在使用手机或电脑键盘打字或者用它们查询电子信息时，智力会暂时降低10个百分点。
与吸食大麻相比，电子信息对智力的不利影响大的多。人在吸食大麻时智商会降低4个百分点。这种暂时变笨的现象称为“信息狂躁”。
因为痴迷于电子产品而造成的智力衰退相当于一夜失眠。
信息狂躁主要表现在成年人身上，尤其是成年男性。
造成这种智力明显衰退的原因在于当员工们应该集中精力工作时，“无处不在”的科技却总是不断分散他们的注意力。信息狂躁是指他们的意识近乎一直处于一种随时对“技术”做出反应的状态，因而无法将注意力集中在手头的工作上。
大脑很难同时应付许多难题，其整体效率会降低。此外，虽然现代科技可以给予我们巨大的帮助，但过多地使用科技也会给人们的大脑和社会生活带来危害。
超过60%的人承认对查阅电邮和短信上瘾。他们说他们很频繁地进行查阅，就算是在家和节假日也会仔细查看与工作有关的电邮和短信。其中有一半人说他们总是立刻就回电子邮件，五分之一(21%)的人说他们会为此打断会议。
此外，信息狂躁对同事也有负面影响，增加他们的压力和敌对情绪。90%的认为在面对面会议时回电子邮件是非常无礼的行为。但是三分之一的人不仅可以接受这种行为，而且觉得这样做说明自己工作勤奋、高效。
