One spam over the line...

A Guardian article, Emails pose threat to IQ, has generated a good deal of blogospheric buzz saying the effects of perpetual email interruptions on the brain are comparable with the effects of cannabis:

"The distractions of constant emails, text and phone messages are a greater threat to IQ and concentration than taking cannabis, according to a survey of befuddled volunteers... Doziness, lethargy and an increasing inability to focus reached 'startling' levels in the trials by 1,100 people, who also demonstrated that emails in particular have an addictive, drug-like grip."

There's plenty of room for skepticism with the study (or just the notion of IQ alone), but I have no trouble believing there may be a real problem in there somewhere.

Some interesting commentary on the subject of workplace interruptions can be found in Demarco and Lister's book Peopleware: Product Projects and Teams. In it they discuss the psychological state referred to as "flow," a meditative state required for mentally challenging work, and how it is affected by perpetual interruptions:

"Unfortunately, you can't turn on flow like a switch. It takes a slow descent into the subject, requiring fifteen minutes or more of concentration before the state is locked in. During this immersion period, you are particularly sensitive to noise and interruption. A disruptive environment can make it difficult or impossible to attain flow."