Research from Monach University on heavy mobile users aged 11 to 14 revealed quicker results, but more inaccuracies in IQ-style tests. These results are a product of mobile usage cultivating bad habits on impressionable minds, but there are no doubt other digital lifestyle factors (instant messaging on desktop, for example) to which frequent cell phone users might also be prone. The most immediate casualty in these kinds of developmental changes are obviously the handling of words, as truncated, frequently-used versions quickly replace real English, but these tests sounded well-rounded – an overall tendency towards speed over accuracy is a little startling, and should be a wake-up call for parents with text-crazy kids. For more info and the free abstract of the research, take a look at the Bioelectricalmagnetics Journal over here.
[via Gizmodo]