Mar
28
Multitasking exposed
Filed Under Christian Living, Culture, Reading
Or, Animadversions on the Folly of Attempting to Manage the Cacophony of Multiple Digital Devices in the Midst of Accomplishing Other Vital Tasks. The Sweet Dropper has been in high gear with Puritan references and quotes lately, so I thought I would stay in that vein by giving a 17th-century type of title to this post. What’s worth noting here is an article from the 25 March New York Times that relays the results of recent studies by neuroscientists, psychologists and business/management analysts, which suggest that multitasking doesn’t increase your efficiency, but actually decreases your efficiency. From the article:
“Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes,” said David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan. “Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.”
The human brain, with its hundred billion neurons and hundreds of trillions of synaptic connections, is a cognitive powerhouse in many ways. “But a core limitation is an inability to concentrate on two things at once,” said René Marois, a neuroscientist and director of the Human Information Processing Laboratory at Vanderbilt University.
Even in a small town like Kosciusko I see people, especially younger folk, doing this all the time–driving while on the cell phone, talking while texting, listening to an mp3 player while reading, etc. In my study at FPC I find myself trying to multitask a lot–and I’m less and less satisfied with the results. The results of the studies relating to age and the ability to multitask were fascinating as well [Read the article to find out more.]
It is one of the glories of the sovereign Lord that he can multitask. He is attentive to his people at all times. He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Who has not been overwhelmed at the thought of his ability to hear prayers from believers all over the world simultaneously? Of course, this is all the more remarkable to us because we are neither omniscient nor omnipresent, confined by the whole time-space continuum thing. And maybe that’s the spiritual point in all of this–you and I are creatures. There are limits on our knowledge and presence and abilities. Only God can do all his holy will. He is sovereign. We are not. I think about something Jesus said to his friend Martha: Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed… [Luke 10:41-42].
NOTE: During the composition of this post, I did not try to do anything else–no checking emails, listening to music, answering phone calls, etc.
Comments
One Response to “Multitasking exposed”
Leave a Reply
It’s about time it got exposed!!! please, Please, PLEASE somebody tell my employer that multitasking is overrated…I’m drowning.