The Myth of Multitasking
I’m one of those people with a high cost of changing tasks. For the most part I have believed this is due to the intricately technical nature of both work and hobby which demand undivided attention for the sake of not only technical accuracy, but also safety.
Over the years I’ve considered this a handicap of sorts, that pulling my head out of a piece of code, for example, can take a few moments and even longer to get back to where I left off. But I’ve come to realize that the people I know that are really good at multitasking suffer from their own affliction, the inability to stay focused on the task at hand.
Though not the first of its nature an article in the New Atlantis, The Myth of Multitasking, makes an interesting case against multitasking citing several studies from notable sources. What is interesting about the article is that the primary “multitasking” issues are partly the responsibility of the same corporate environment which is now starting to realize the error of their ways. Yet push the responsibility for the problem on to the culture of text messaging, hand held devices and email. Smaller businesses where people carry many roles likely have a larger problem especially as the roles may have opposing requirements such as accounting and phone operator.
Outside of the work place we’re also bringing up a generation of experiments who, when they fail to be fully functioning, we label with many labels that in essence boil down to Attention Deficit Disorder. Like the ability to singularly pay attention is a natural talent, rather it is a discipline. In the past this discipline was taught at the lowest level through other subjects such as math and reading comprehension. In a culture that prizes feelings over accomplishments I’m afraid we’re in for a bumpy ride in our supply of competent people to keep the wheels of our economy turning.