Computers and your brain

The New York Times published a doozy of a set of articles this week on attention span, your brain, and computers: Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price. They tracked one family’s serious technology habit and the science of how the brain adapts to all those screens. I would say it’s a must-read. Some may consider it a horror story.

"Bursts of information" [in e-mail, phone calls, and other forms]..."play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities or threats. The stimulation provokes excitement—a dopamine squirt—that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored. For millions of people...these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life."

The Times coverage includes two interactive guides that test your focus and how quickly you can juggle tasks, plus other features.

All this leads to the question: What do you think about all those screens and how do you deal with all this computer stuff? Information overload is everywhere. Do you manage it instead of letting it manage you?

Many of the improvements in Office 2010 are designed to keep you in charge whether you're running multiple devices 24/7 or tackling things one at a time. With an average of 1800 emails per month coming your way,  something like the Conversation View in Outlook 2010 can help keep distractions at bay.   

My other favorite way to stop distractions is to turn off all email notifications in Outlook. That way I get email when I want. One less distraction, one small victory. However, I don’t think I’m winning the war.

--Doug Thomas