Technological Multi-Corruption

One of the most predominantly American ideals is the ability to multi-task. Now this in itself may not seem like a big problem but with the increasing use of technology in our everyday lives, it is having a serious detrimental impact on our daily lives. Most people can efficiently walk and chew gum at the same time, but when it comes to “more complicated” multi-tasking with driving and talking on your cell phone, there is a price to be paid. Psychologists have argued for years about whether these problems occur because people are inherently lazy, or if it is due to a fundamental inability to switch from one task to another.

"There is a cost for switching from one task to another and that cost can be in response time or in accuracy," said Mei-Ching Lien, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University. "Even with a seemingly simple task, structural cognitive limitations can prevent you from efficiently switching to a new task."

This applies to something as advanced as talking on the cell phone and driving to trying to pick out colors and shapes at the same time. While there are individual differences in the costs of multi-tasking, typical averages do apply per task undertaken. A typical response to a stimulus takes about 300 milliseconds on average while adding a second task typically increases the response to about 800 milliseconds on average.

Despite the fact that it is possible to simplify tasks thereby leading to greater efficiency, technology is complicating everything, especially driving. The fact that drivers are using many different complicated devices at the same at which they must be navigating traffic, reading signs, and handle other distractions makes things even more difficult than they already are. This results in inattention and slow reaction times. Clearly demonstrating how unsafe our driving has become.

References
Science Daily