May I Have Your Attention, Please?
I’m going to guess that as you read this you are also doing something else, like watching TV, listening to music, texting a friend or toggling between computer screens. Am I right?
And I bet you call it multitasking because, in practice, you are doing more than one thing at once. But I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and the thing is, unless you are fully focused on reading this post in a distraction-free environment, you aren’t really doing two things at once (listening, watching, reading, writing, etc.). You are trying to make your brain shift between tasks, and if you are like 97% of people, you are not doing it well.
Ever since watching the Frontline program Digital Nation last winter, I’ve become fascinated with how our brains react to the enormous amount of data we now must try to absorb daily. In that PBS program, scientists discussed an experiment with Stanford University and M.I.T. students who claimed to be masters at multitasking. But the majority of them, presumably pretty bright kids, failed at even basic tasks, proving they really weren’t focused as they thought.
Then last week in the New York Times came an article about how more gym equipment now comes equip with devices – televisions, iPod docks, etc. – to help people as they work out. (In one instance, a gym lost its cable connection and the patrons went berserk.) But in aiding their ability to stay connected and/or get through strenuous exercise, these technologic stimuli also preclude people from one of the true benefits of recreational exercise: downtime. And that means you retain stress, rather than release it.
Think about what our lives are like now and how many times daily we are online, even when we are supposedly offline. Our friends now expect us to keep up with Facebook tripe; our bosses want answers to emails almost immediately, even when we're in transit; and everyone eyes you suspiciously if you go off the grid for more than a few days (if that).
Read more: Your Brain on Computers Series
The same NYT journalist was interviewed on the radio program Fresh Air last Tuesday. He won a Pulitzer Prize for the excellent series on how we as a society are trying to retrofit our reptilian brains, using cell phones and driving as the perfect example of a dangerous practice we can’t seem to live with...or without.
This made me immediately think of those people who claim they can only run while listening to their mp3 players. I’m not talking about the casual user, like me, or those who keep the volume down to stay aware. I'm talking about people who suffer separation anxiety at the mere suggestion they run without it and keep it cranked so they can truly tune out the world around them. What are they really running for...or from?
And I bet you call it multitasking because, in practice, you are doing more than one thing at once. But I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and the thing is, unless you are fully focused on reading this post in a distraction-free environment, you aren’t really doing two things at once (listening, watching, reading, writing, etc.). You are trying to make your brain shift between tasks, and if you are like 97% of people, you are not doing it well.
Ever since watching the Frontline program Digital Nation last winter, I’ve become fascinated with how our brains react to the enormous amount of data we now must try to absorb daily. In that PBS program, scientists discussed an experiment with Stanford University and M.I.T. students who claimed to be masters at multitasking. But the majority of them, presumably pretty bright kids, failed at even basic tasks, proving they really weren’t focused as they thought.
Then last week in the New York Times came an article about how more gym equipment now comes equip with devices – televisions, iPod docks, etc. – to help people as they work out. (In one instance, a gym lost its cable connection and the patrons went berserk.) But in aiding their ability to stay connected and/or get through strenuous exercise, these technologic stimuli also preclude people from one of the true benefits of recreational exercise: downtime. And that means you retain stress, rather than release it.
Think about what our lives are like now and how many times daily we are online, even when we are supposedly offline. Our friends now expect us to keep up with Facebook tripe; our bosses want answers to emails almost immediately, even when we're in transit; and everyone eyes you suspiciously if you go off the grid for more than a few days (if that).
Read more: Your Brain on Computers Series
The same NYT journalist was interviewed on the radio program Fresh Air last Tuesday. He won a Pulitzer Prize for the excellent series on how we as a society are trying to retrofit our reptilian brains, using cell phones and driving as the perfect example of a dangerous practice we can’t seem to live with...or without.
This made me immediately think of those people who claim they can only run while listening to their mp3 players. I’m not talking about the casual user, like me, or those who keep the volume down to stay aware. I'm talking about people who suffer separation anxiety at the mere suggestion they run without it and keep it cranked so they can truly tune out the world around them. What are they really running for...or from?
