The Myth of Multitasking:
Steve Lohr of The New York Times addresses the issue of multitasking in today's issue. Think you can handle the cell phone while you're driving? And then there's your kid in the bedroom, watching TV, listening to music on the iPod, text messaging, answering his teachers e-mail, and studying for tomorrow's math test all at the same time. Think that A he will get is because he's a brilliant young multitasker? Or is it just your regular brand of grade inflation at work?
Turns out that human beings aren't the wonderful multitaskers we try to convince ourselves we are. Efficiency and effectiveness collapse under the distraction of multitasking. Just ask anybody who's ever tried to shoot a freethrow, much less hit a baseball. The human brain is wonderful at multitasking, just as long as it doesn't require the conscious mind.
Steve Lohr of The New York Times addresses the issue of multitasking in today's issue. Think you can handle the cell phone while you're driving? And then there's your kid in the bedroom, watching TV, listening to music on the iPod, text messaging, answering his teachers e-mail, and studying for tomorrow's math test all at the same time. Think that A he will get is because he's a brilliant young multitasker? Or is it just your regular brand of grade inflation at work?
Turns out that human beings aren't the wonderful multitaskers we try to convince ourselves we are. Efficiency and effectiveness collapse under the distraction of multitasking. Just ask anybody who's ever tried to shoot a freethrow, much less hit a baseball. The human brain is wonderful at multitasking, just as long as it doesn't require the conscious mind.
Labels: Business, Computing, Technology
posted by Jim | 11:48 AM
1 Comments:
Tell that to all the men, women and children who think of their stupid cars and SUVs as mobile wireless phone booths.
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