A team of researchers at Stanford University conducted a fascinating study a few years ago looking at two types of people: those self-identified as being heavy media multitaskers (HMM) and those who identified as low media multitaskers (LMM). The high-octane HMM people assumed they were mentally superior, perhaps because they multitasked all the time. However on cognitive tests, the LMM people, those able to limit or filter out multiple media streams, actually performed better than the HMM subjects.
All that heavy media consumption did not produce a positive effect on productivity and output; instead, the effect was negative. Overstimulation produces a cacophony of distractions, and those who use media the most appear to be the most distracted and the least able to filter it out of their lives. Those who were able to “unplug” from competing technological distractions did better on the cognitive tests. Less was actually more.
Apparently, this came as a shock to the HMM group, who considered themselves quite skilled at multitasking. The article i ready about the study proposed that this was an example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, in part, is a condition of cognitive bias that occurs when people believe incorrectly in their own superior skill or knowledge and fail to recognize their mistakes. (The bias also describes the reverse, when people incorrectly underrate their abilities.) We are often the worst judge of our own capabilities or lack thereof.
I bring this up because I understand the trap of believing that it’s not me who is hindering my functioning: maybe I just don’t have the right device, or I just haven’t found that one gadget, that one app or add-on that will transport me to productivity Nirvana. I don’t want to believe that engaging in five things at once and well is a myth. I’ve come to rely on juggling all those balls in order to get through my day, and I can’t even contemplate what life will be like if I don’t have access to these tools I need in order to function.
These thoughts are seductive; that anxiety is compelling. We believe that the one things that’s actually hindering us is what will save us. Multitasking is not the answer; it is not the panacea we’re been promised. It doesn’t lead to greater productivity; it leads to less.
The above is excerpted from chapter 2 in #Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking by Dr. Gregory Jantz, founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources.
A team of researchers at Stanford University conducted a fascinating study a few years ago looking at two types of people: those self-identified as being heavy media multitaskers (HMM) and those who identified as low media multitaskers (LMM). The high-octane HMM people assumed they were mentally superior, perhaps because they multitasked all the time. However on cognitive tests, the LMM people, those able to limit or filter out multiple media streams, actually performed better than the HMM subjects.
All that heavy media consumption did not produce a positive effect on productivity and output; instead, the effect was negative. Overstimulation produces a cacophony of distractions, and those who use media the most appear to be the most distracted and the least able to filter it out of their lives. Those who were able to “unplug” from competing technological distractions did better on the cognitive tests. Less was actually more.
Apparently, this came as a shock to the HMM group, who considered themselves quite skilled at multitasking. The article I read about the study proposed that this was an example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, in part, is a condition of cognitive bias that occurs when people believe incorrectly in their own superior skill or knowledge and fail to recognize their mistakes. (The bias also describes the reverse, when people incorrectly underrate their abilities.) We are often the worst judge of our own capabilities or lack thereof.
I bring this up because I understand the trap of believing that it’s not me who is hindering my functioning: maybe I just don’t have the right device, or I just haven’t found that one gadget, that one app or add-on that will transport me to productivity Nirvana. I don’t want to believe that engaging in five things at once and well is a myth. I’ve come to rely on juggling all those balls in order to get through my day, and I can’t even contemplate what life will be like if I don’t have access to these tools I need in order to function. These thoughts are seductive; that anxiety is compelling. We believe that the one things that’s actually hindering us is what will save us. Multitasking is not the answer; it is not the panacea we’re been promised. It doesn’t lead to greater productivity; it leads to less.
The above is excerpted from chapter 2 in #Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking by Dr. Gregory Jantz, founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources.
