The Myth of Multitasking

And that's the thing. The suits love to be seen running around, looking frantic, talking into as many cellphones as possible while looking at their Blackberries, all the time assuming we're jealous of them because they can do so much. The thing is, they're not doing all that much and they're certainly not inspiring anyone to follow them, except the Truly Ambitious.

I've proved to myself that I can multi-task. I don't need anyone to see me do it. I know that I can when I have to, but I don't make a big deal out of it, and I resent it when I'm asked to do it, even worse when the suit assumes it's important for me to get ten things done at the same time.

I've got no idea what "sussed" means but I'm going to guess it means "I've got you all figured out."

My mind is racing in 20 directions at once most of the time so I usually keep a pen handy to scribble down thoughts. And, yes, you're right I've tried to scribble stuff down during a movie theater only to later read - when the lights go up:
"rjelsdmemds;elds"
and sighed.

Is that article source really from Atlantis or the more traditional, albeit less mythical, Atlantic (Monthly)

I have lots of thoughts on this topic, so many I may write an article to expand on some of the thoughts that follow:

I rarely mono-task and find it frustrating when I have to do so.

As I type this, for example, I'm listening to a dvd commentary for CSI (but with a cool pause feature that lasts ten minutes before proceeding to play and it's amazing how much you can get done in ten minutes. But it can mean it takes 3 hours to "watch" an hour episode yet at that end of 3 hours I might have a new essay written or read 100 comments of meta stuff.

So it is that I'm reading this discussion and typing my response, but saving it to word since I don't have net access again for 24 hours since I'm reading this at work. I'm also typing up a private email regarding work (I received a letter of commendation but I can't talk about it publicly) and am considering writing a memoir piece on how to lose games intentionally (and why that can be a good thing.)

I think this comment nails some of my beliefs:

I've proved to myself that I can multi-task. I don't need anyone to see me do it. I know that I can when I have to, but I don't make a big deal out of it, and I resent it when I'm asked to do it, even worse when the suit assumes it's important for me to get ten things done at the same time.

That gets it what seems most intriguing about multi-tasking especially when one of those tasks is the cellphone. Personally I find it difficult – and frustrating – when I'm talking to someone who I know is multi-tasking. I've been known to essentially and politely demand the person either stop multitasking (especially if those tasks involve eating, using the bathroom, performing music) while they're talking to me. Because what I hear/feel is "You are not worth all of my attention."
Part of me is thinking, I want the conversation I'd have if two people were just sitting and talking. If while those two people were talking one of them suddenly put on a walkman or starting reading a book the other would be rightfully offended, right?
And yet how often do you see two people eating and talking while one (and sometimes both) are also on cell phones? I see it all the time and I'm usually thrown off by it with reactions ranging from "hang up and talk to your friend because that's rude" to 'well, obviously the other person is ok with it."

Am I selfish in my expectations? Am I hypocritical in that while I will usually stop all activity and focus all attention on a phone call (which explains why I want/hope for the same from the caller/callee) if it's a call from, say,a credit card company I may start doing other tasks.

Two other thoughts: 1) As I get older I'm finder it harder to multitask as much. I used to be unable to just sit and read a book – I'd have to be listening to music while I read. I didn't go as far as some who would do their homework while listening to tv (I couldn't do that – and maybe neither could they really ).
Nowadays I appreciate and value the sound of silence and so when I go online for my precious four hours online each day (I'm offline the rest of the day) more often than not the only sound will be white noise (I'm comforted by that) while I read and type and think. I've found the beauty in the sound of silence. Whether that's due to age or is situational (after being around people who listen non-stop to tv maybe I'm just liking the break in that distraction)… well, that I don't know.
( I talk about this some in my advice to writers on getting started piece, saying there is no one right way to write – some write best when multitasking (if you count listening to music as you write as multitasking) while others write best with complete quiet.)
I prefer quiet and yet when writing an average of ten stories a week for 10 years at newspapers I not only was rarely able to write in a silent environment but often had to do this awful listening/blocking out thing with the ever present newsroom police scanner. You want to block it out so you can focus on the story but if you're not hearing it when they are announcing some car accident tying up the freeway there's hell to pay. )
And yes, I too resent it when you are required by work to multi-task. It's one thing to know I can do it. It's another when you're expected to do it and treated different if you can't, that's quite another. I'm not sure if I can articulate why this is.
But if there's interest in some of these thoughts I'll write a full
Piece on it sometime.

Apparently, many people can multi-task, but I have come to the conclusion that I am NOT one of the many. I keep thinking of the old adage .."jack of all trades, master of none".

I cite my commute to and from work. Clearly, I was able to do this for many years, without a single accident. No doubt, I once gave it my undivided attention. Eventually, however, it became such a part of me, that I could let my mind wander and then be somehow surprised that I was already at work/ home.

It would only be when a new intersection would be built that I would realize there was a new subdivision or shopping center under construction. Naturally, the intersections, generally started with 4 way stops. I would have to train myself to this fact, which ususally required by a couple of hard braking episodes. Then the inevitable traffic light would be installed and, again, I would require more training. The first few times, I would stop at a green light, then realize that it was no longer a 4 way stop. Sometimes it was red and if the coast was clear.... off I would go. I won't even mention the times I started out on an errand and ended up in the parking lot at work.

I cannot multitask. I used to think I could, but retirement has given me a new perspective. I can guarantee, that I won't end up in that parking lot, again (the security guard won't let me in).

cannot multitask. I used to think I could, but retirement has given me a new perspective. I can guarantee, that I won't

There are a few times when I've been unable to multitask. Fortunately I can usually tell when that happens as it feels (and maybe actually is) sensory overload. For example, at work recently one client was shouting something while another was saying something unrelated while an employee nearby wanted to talk to me about something else. All this while I was trying to figure out why the vcr wouldn't work on their tv. Finally I just told the employee politely that if she wants me to either make sense and/or remember this conversation she'd be advised to save the conversation for a time when the client (who only says three things - "god damn it," "jesus christ!" and "hey, ma!") wasn't screaming for attention.

Oh and I'm writing this on my new computer while listening to music at my coffeeshop with the Sunday NY Times waiting patiently for me to read and seed. That all counts as multitasking, right?

All that said, there's another key question at play, namely: Would my work improve if I focused on just one task to which I'd answer, probably. I'd make less typos, for example, if I avoid writing in places with music or people talking. I could read faster if I was sitting at home, quiet and alone. But I like being in public when reading and writing and so if that means multitasking so be it.
There's another factor - at least for me - in that I know a good way to combat depression is to be around other people even if it's a computer lab or coffeeshop.

I wonder if truckers still say "keep on trucking."

I should have checked the seed rather than suggesting a typo.

Apropos of nothing how do you pronounce your name? When Marilyn and I carpooled to the vinemeet I pronounced (though I know this is neither the right pronounciation nor what I think of you) you as "rat." How should I pronounce it?

Ha. That's right - you're one of those people who, when you email me, I say, "who is this person and why do they act like they know me?" Then a minute or 10 ten later, "oh, wait, that's so and so...."

Did I ever tell you about the time I went to Dallas? (it was part of a trip to meet in person as many people as I could that I knew online. Anyway as I called up her business to set up a time to meet for dinner I realized I had no idea what her real name was. which made asking for her to come to the phone a bit tricky

Ok, Raat, I was thinking tonite of this discussion as I had a good example of a time when I definitely knew I was multi-tasking too much.
-------------------
This is what I just posted over here:

So I decided to try something different tonight. As I wrote about above, I go to free open mic nites at a local coffeehouse Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and buy a drink, listen and applaud. I have no musical ability and so don't even pretend I can do anything musical beyond applauding or getting others to applaud. I think of myself as the designated applause section.

In recent months I've been joined by my posse of the two elderly special needs guys I work with. They like to go out and they like music so I've managed the best of both worlds- they're happy becaues they go somewhere and I'm happy that I'm at a place I like and they seem to thrive on socializing (and occasional flirting)
They also try occasional singing - tonite one tried singing Ring of Fire.

foreshadowing: (While I can write fine I'm not so good at reading my stuff aloud. Believe it or not (and I'm sure those who read this don't believe it) but I'm more shy and speechless when off-line, i.e. so-called "real life" In fact I find it a bit scary to speak publicly. How exactly I worked as a journalist despite that problem is a story from another day. I guess I just forced myself to adjust - same thing when i tried student teaching ("Why are you shaking, "Mr. Scott?" the kids would ask)

Anyway I love reading and also like reading aloud. One of the guys I work with is a bit of a ham and so when I help him read (we read children's books as that's his level) he likes to sort of act out the part even if he doesnt' quite understand some of the big words.

So I had an idea: At poetry open mic nite tonite I'd read aloud one or two of the stories and he'd do the animal sounds. Great idea, right?
We had two books - The Tiger Tantrum and Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. As the nite went on our showtime got pushed back farther and farther and I grew increasingly nervous. We ended up being the closing act (and the only non-musical one) and as time was short I just did the tiger one.
We did good, I think. As expected he hammed it up (and was not the most believeable angry tiger I've ever seen but then who expected him to be Olivier)
That was an hour ago - we got home 30 minutes ago and the guys already got their meds and went to their respective beds and as I hear them snore I'm wide awake and breathing hard, trying to calm down after fighting through my fear or public speaking and knowing mentally I did good and they had fun but physically thinking, "What was I thinking?" and "Let's wait a few weeks before we try THAT stunt again."

What went wrong? Well, in short, I'm pretty good at multi-tasking (as I talk about here in Raat's seed) but sometimes (and tonite is one of those times) I become hyper-aware I've hit sensory overload and am trying to do too many things at once and sorta hyperventilate. Oy.

The end

You really must stop having all that Coke,

Maybe some strong Valium also and NO Caffeine......and promise, never another seed about Obama and the NYT's front cover !

Lord Raat Sir,

Do you still have a working email account or has the UK government banned that also ? Wanted to pass a updated on to you.

You really must stop having all that Coke, y'know:-) All those EEEEs. Not good for you...

I don't drink coke but I suspect the green tea is caffeinated and yesterday they were so excited to use me as a guinea pig for a green tea latte - well, let's just say that was a bad idea to agree but when someone hands me a drink for free that has green tea it's hard to say no.

nd promise, never another seed about Obama and the NYT's front cover !

Funny you should say that because when I posted the seed that brought 100 plus comments so far I pledged I would not seed anything else about the New Yorker and I've made good on that promise.
(Does clipping viners articles about the new yorker constitute as cheating?

nd promise, never another seed about Obama and the NYT's front cover !

Wait just a minute, I don't know if I've seeded anything about the NYY cover. Perhaps you mean the New Yorker - I mean both have New in their name but are quite different in size, color, etc.

I think Tedd you may need to get off the caffeine yourself. BTW, how's your health? I saw somewhere you mentioned having some physical problems? I hope you're kidding.

Raat, I apologize for linking from here to the other place (though you'll note I did vice versa) but I felt we all could use a laugh, lurkers or non-lurkers

BTW as I explained to the guys on the way home that I'd be away until Sunday as I'm leaving for Texas vinemeet I said I didn't know if they'd be able to go see music Thursday nite If not I don't want them to throw any tantrums and one said, "you mean don't act like the tiger?"

And that connection made the nite worth it. "grr!" he said making one more attempt at an animal growl

I hope you're kidding.

Nope not kidding. My Family knows what is going on, but I don't feel right discussing my problems on Newsvine. I just will not be around very much any longer lets say.

BTW Scott. I do not drink caffeine, any form of anything, no alcohol,

going on, but I don't feel right discussing my problems on Newsvine. I just will not be around very much any longer lets say.

BTW Scott. I do not drink caffeine, any form of anything, no alcohol,

Tedd, No offense intended. hope you didn't think I was trying to take a cheap shot.

Drop me an email if I can get an update on your health and you can let me know if there's anything I can do.

Did not take it as a cheap shot Scott, not a problem.

Just came across another fun multi-task reference. I'm reading the new book by this author and just came across this exchange:

Where do you see yourself in five years – still writing both comics and novels or doing all of one or the other?

Still writing both. And doing TV and movie work.

And swimming the English Channel blindfolded. Multi-tasking is my thing.

When the plane has landed, a person can call someone to tell them this important fact. Plus, give a blow by blow account of what should take place in the next 30~45 minutes.

I have never understood the necessity of placing a phone call immediately upon landing. Let's think about this. In most major airports it's going to take 5-10 minutes to taxi to the gate, another 5 to move the jetway in place and open the door, then more time to stand, gather your belongings, and get off the plane. If you checked your luggage you should add another 10-20 minutes to retrieve it. If you have to get a rental car, add another 5-10 minutes. So from the time you landed until you're actually ready to get underway at least 30 minutes will have passed. So why the urgency to place the call? Calm down and take it easy. Whoever you're calling can wait.

I have also never understood the rush to stand and get off the plane. Unless you have a tight connection, it makes more sense to stay seated for a bit to let those with tight connections get off first. Standing immediately when the plane parks just clogs the aisle and makes people who only have 15 minutes to make a connection panic and turn aggressive. Standing while talking on your cell phone and trying to retrieve your carry-on bag at the same time just looks silly.

I have never understood the necessity of placing a phone call immediately upon landing.

lol, have you tried picking someone up from O'Hare recently? The cell phone call is the lifeline for coordinating the pick up.

The online arrival/departure schedules are unreliable. The airlines will report a flight is on time until, due to delay, it is reassigned an arrival gate. Meanwhile the dispatched driver, determined to make a passenger pick up, is flagged by uniformed airport security to make mile long lot rotations. The driver's goal is to locate the curbside pick up before exhausting all gasoline or sanity. This is to be accomplished at lot cruising speed so as not to confused security personnel with possible intent to illegal stopping or standing. Anyone caught slowing down in the lot loop without a clear and confirmable pedestrian target willing to enter their vehicle is subject to punishment ranging from a high decibel whistle at close range to a costly and time consuming fine.

Considering the high probability that a flight will arrive later than it scheduled time, the driver, once dispatched for an O'Hare arrival, depends on cell phone communications from the soon-to-be-cargo while looping in the frenetic airport traffic.

Make the call immediately on landing, lol ; )

The cell phone call is the lifeline for coordinating the pick up.

The online arrival/departure schedules are unreliable. The airlines will report a flight is on time until, due to delay, it is reassigned an arrival gate.

I'll certainly give you a vote. As a business traveler I'm always either getting a rental car or getting into my own car after the return trip, so coordinating a pickup is an alien concept for me. One very good tool, however, is email updates from the airline. I always subscribe to email updates for every flight and my wife usually gets them for most of my flights too. Many times the email server will fire off an email notification of a delay or gate change several minutes before the delay or change is posted at the gate in the airport. My wife knows that my flight has been delayed without me having to pick up the phone. Most major (and some minor) airports have "cell phone waiting" areas near the arrival gates where people can park, often for free, while waiting to pick up a passenger.

Often, they make it so much more cumbersome for others who have a few bits and pieces stowed away above (bag, laptop, coat, gloves etc) to gather their stuff.

I usually travel pretty light when it comes to what I carry aboard the plane. Since I'm usually boarding some plane going somewhere about every 3 weeks on average, I've grown to dislike carrying much more than my laptop and a paperback book into the plane. As such when it comes time to go I can get off the plane pretty darn quickly but for all the people wrestling heavy carry-on bags and pet carriers (why are people allowed to bring small pets into the passenger cabin?). If I'm not seated in the first few rows where I can just dart to the front and I don't have a tight connection, I'll just sit and wait. I've been known to wait until the plane was just about empty, grab my book, and calmly walk off.

yep, and folks who can't manage to stand due to the confined space perch on the armrest, bobbing their head around to make out any progress toward the exit. Some even just stand hunched over beneath the stow away racks.

Heaven forbid you do not participate in this orgy to exit. The more impatient folks will tell you to get up and the more reserved will ask if you are OK?

lol, how do the airline service personnel put up with such cattle?

The proper term for multitasking in most cases is probably something more like 'multiplexing', where one has numerous things going on "simultaneously", but is actually giving each one undivided attention briefly before switching to the next, then the next,...

Still, I walk and chew gum, or drive and talk on the phone, performing more than one conscious thing at a time. It seems to me like I have buffers in which I store things to say or things said to me, and I use those to keep listening or speaking while I scan for situations that need my full attention as a driver. IOW, I can interact more or less with the person on the phone, and drive safely too. Regardless of whether you call it multitasking, you'd be hard-pressed to demonstrate that I stop doing the one in order to do the other, every time.

The fact that I can't do both 100% in all situations is the reason I don't talk on the phone and drive, but I have done it in the past. Don't you agree that is multitasking?

Very curious.

I think so too, I would like to see the answer to this...

I had this discussion with a friend last night regarding using the cell phone while driving. A lot of people say "I can talk on the cell phone and drive with no problem!" which is actually quite true. The problem, and most people don't seem to realize it, is that they can't listen on the cell phone and drive at the same time. If the other person starts giving some information that you need to pay attention to, your ability to react to driving hazards plummets. If you want to test it, try to do something familiar such as writing your name repeatedly in manuscript letters while someone else makes up and reads off a list of seven grocery items. After the grocery list has been read to you, recite the list from memory while continuing to write your name. If you were concentrating on writing your name you won't remember the list. If you were concentrating on remembering the list you will not have written your name very well or very many times. You can't do both. The same thing happens when we're using the cell phone while driving and we have to remember what the person is telling us or recall specific facts from our own memory. It's for that reason that a hands-free cell phone isn't really any better than holding a handset. Even hands-free, if the conversation taxes your memory your driving ability will be diminished.

Very curious.
I think so too, I would like to see the answer to this...

I would say from watching the first one which is real, that number #2 is a tag along clone that has to date only one post, however thanks scanners are working ☺

Multitasking ? ah easy stuff, see I can type while sitting here on my butt ǝɯ ɹoɟ ǝuıɟ ʞɹoʍ ɥʇoq 'pɐǝɥ ʎɯ uo ƃuıʇʇıs ǝdʎʇ uɐɔ I ɹO not a problem for an American --¿ ʇɐɐᴚ ɹıS puod ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo ǝɹǝɥʇ ɯǝʃqoɹd ɐ ʇɐɥʇ sI--

Heck you should see the drivers around Redmond, they can drive their $100,000 Porsche Cheyenne SUV's, talk on their Apple iPhone , put on makeup, hand insert the latest Blu_Ray Version of Harry Potter Escapes from Bonzo land for the Soccer Brats and even run over a few bikers or walkers and not even miss a step plugging in the next shopping route on the dashboard GPS.

To answer 6.2. I don't approve of my cloning without approval. No, this is not me or a clone I approved of. Dang I swear I moved the mouse again while I was typing

Pacific Northwest Blogger,

I am tracking your clone, so I will see what is going on, so far only that one comment.

Very little from Eddie. One post a couple days ago and he sounded ok, but no emails at all. I have written a few, but not a word back. I have been concerned also.

Raat, no whine on my column...just fun! Stop by....You just have to pick and choose , but then, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

Women are generally acknowledged to be better

They can Whine, nag, @!$%#, talk on the cell phone, look for lost keys, freshen up make-up & look good all at the same time, so yeah....we are far far behind...

So there's a lot of focus that needs to go into each part of that and HEY LOOK! CANDY!!!

You should also watch out for shiny objects!

It BETTER have been sugar candy. I am married, after all!! (besides, doesn't most online eye candy come with viruses and malware??)

Ms CYPRAH

Looks like you missed the most important parts: look good all at the same time, so yeah....we are far far behind...

In other words, I was laughing that males could not multitask is all.

Ain't 'arf 'ot

One of those rare extinct languages ?
Crimean Gothic ?
Yola ?
Old Frisian ?

I give up....dumbo American here...

It's English, Tedd. Would likely help if you'd grown up in the UK or watched a lot UK telly as a kid.

I know that RW, I did watch BBC as a kid, I grew up in Germany then moved to Norway. I just kid Raat about it. Just my odd sense of humour as I spell centre and metre the same way he does. My Teachers for the most part were from the UK

There was an old series of IBM ads that featured a couple of people discussing technology. One of them showed a couple of shepherds on a remote-looking field. It took me ages to realise they were speaking English, but Borders dialects are fairly incomprehensible at the best of times.

Try having a Company meeting with HQ people from Sweden, Human Resource People from Texas and Finance from New England (Boston) and watch how nobody has a clue what the other person is saying.....its very scary just how badly "English" can get screwed up..

PowerPoint would be named ParPawnt
Microsoft's programming tools would be Vishul Basic and Vishul C++
New Shutdown wav: Y'all come back now, Yah hear?
Instead of VP, Microsoft big shots would be called "Cuz"
Their #1 product would be Microsoft Winders

It may be a generalisation, but I've found Americans to have a lot of trouble with English dialects even within their own country, most notably from north to south.

It's likely from not developing an ear for other accents when young. If the only accent you hear is the local one and something reasonably generic on television, an Australian or Welsh accent is going to be completely alien and probably incomprehensible. Throw in someone for whom English isn't a first language and your meetings must have been fun. Although most Europeans speak better English as a second language than native English speakers manage as a first language.

English dialects even within their own country, most notably from north to south.

That is very true on the East coast as the accent of a person from Maine is very distinct, Same with New Jersey, then Boston, then New York, Virginian....and then....Texas...Good luck !!!
And then you have Louisiana with its very multicultural, multilingual heritage and Cajun English, Louisiana Creole French, Yat (local talk) and countless other dialects.

The rest of the US (except California-Speak) is fairly normal.

However, I agree, on the average I would say most Europeans both Speak and Spell better then the average American. Sad but true. That one became real clear to me living both places...ouch that was painful to see and sometimes admit.

It goes for our friends elsewhere in the Americas also. I learned my Spanish from a Mexican schoolteacher and then a Castillan (major difference there). I then found myself dating a girl who was 1/2 Bostonian, 1/2 Chilean. The shift in accents between those three countries is absolutely incredible. Just the sibilant s becoming a th in northern Spain can throw you. The slang in Chile is...fascinating, I guess would be the polite term Earthy? Yeah.

And of course, here I am unable to roll an rr (me and my Downeast upbringing) - noone would ever suss me as from the EE UU (USA), would they?? ;:-) .

Solid proof !! of the Myth of Multitasking

You Brits are so formal ! we go by first names here, Sir Raat, or is it Lord Raat ? ☺

We don't bother with that little pissy stuff like you Brits you, we just like to drop a load on people, Mr Bush I understand is pretty good at that.

It all leads me to wonder how in the world some of these folks would have gotten along before the era of cell phones.

lol, Maybe that is how I got so good at it!