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Constant distractions can take a toll

Distracted driving is dangerous, sure, but distractions at work, home, or anywhere can have disastrous effects

By Jan Brogan

 |  Globe Correspondent  

  February 27, 2012

If you are worried that spending all day answering text messages and opening e-mails is making you dumber, you might be right. In the last decade, high-tech brain scanning has shed new light on the mechanics of distraction - what happens when we shift attention frequently or let the mind wander. One thing has become certain: A person’s attention is a limited resource.

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