CREATING FOR A MULTITASKING WORLD
Because people are drawn in a million different directions per day, more and more they're turning to their smartphone as a solution for organization as well as entertainment. Everything from calls and conferences, notifications, schedules, reports, directions, references, and, of course, leisure for those few minutes of relief can all be achieved from the smartphone or, while at work, your computer.
Paper and pen are mostly a thing of the past. Because instant communication, knowledge, and gratification have so penetrated our daily lives, people are learning to spend only moments on one thing at a time, and constantly shifting focus. This short amount of attention is likely the small window you'll have for capturing their interest and holding them there. You learn more about this opportunity later in this chapter in the section, “The Half-Second Window.” For now, let's take a glimpse into what is happening in the brain when you are multitasking, and the effects of multitasking on your ability to focus so that you can better take advantage of the small time you're allotted.
Understanding the Effects of Multitasking on the Brain
According to research published on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2009 about cognitive control in media multitaskers, participants who (after a series of questions) were pegged “heavy multitaskers” had more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, in addition to being less efficient ...