This article postulates that constant use of email reduces mental capability based on subjects' performance on IQ (I just typed ICQ - how telling is that?) tests where they were and weren't allowed to check their email.
There are two things I'm wondering about this study:
1. How closely does the act of taking a test simulate natural working conditions for whatever jobs these people do? My natural working conditions involve staring at a screen, typing, and constantly switching back and forth into different windows in order to look stuff up. I can check my email without breaking my rhythm. However, it would probably break my rhythm if I were writing a test on paper.
2. Did the subjects of the test learn to do their jobs before or after the advent of email? Personally, I learned out to translate several years after I started using email and ICQ, so all my translation has been done with constant electronic interruptions. I find interruptions a refreshing break from the sustained close attention of translation. My most productive day this month was the day the white smoke was released from the Vatican, during which I was checking Google News every 5 minutes and constantly exchanging email updates. It's a lot easier for me to buckle down and work in highly productive bursts when I know I'm going to be interrupted in five minutes, although this certainly may vary from person to person.
1 comment:
If I need to concentrate on a piece of work, I close my e-mail application and switch off my mobile phone.
It helps me to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of other things. I don't think this makes more productive, it just means that that particular piece of work requires that amount of concentration. I rarely need to do it.
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