The rate at which we consume data has a profoundly negative impact on the way we think, work, and live.
Between the 1980s and 2000s, the amount of information we consumed increased massively, and only continues to rise. Compared to the fifteenth century, we now consume as much data in a single day as an average person from the 1400s would have in an entire lifetime.
Defining Digital Dementia
This dramatic increase in information is leading to what leading German neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer calls Digital Dementia — essentially, the overloading of our minds by a 24/7, 365 day a year internet connection.
Emanating from our computers, smartphones, tablets, and more, this digital information is causing a breakdown in cognitive abilities in a way that is traditionally associated with head injuries or psychiatric illnesses.
It’s making life harder than it should be.
The barrage of emails, instant messages, social media notifications, and open browser tabs which fill our everyday lives contribute to the phenomenon of digital dementia.
This overload is having an increasingly negative impact on our ability to perform creative tasks; everything from composing personalized emails and reports, to crafting business presentations, and perhaps most detrimentally, it’s encouraging us to multi-task.
Multi-Tasking = Stress and Inefficiency
According to Eric Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT, human brains are “not wired to multitask well.” He explains that “when people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly. And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost in doing so.”
By “being productive” and working on multiple projects, you’re decreasing your ability to do any single task well because multi-tasking significantly reduces your brain’s capacity to process information.
According to a study from University of London (UoL) multitasking actually reduces your IQ, with multitasking men dropping an average of 15 points — effectively giving them the same cognitive capabilities as an eight year old.
How to Work Smarter and Better
Paraphrasing Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary, we need to turn off and tune out before dropping in. To work smarter and better, be mindful of these tips to prevent information overload and keep yourself from multitasking.
- Batch emails. Set times throughout the day and refrain from checking your inbox otherwise. Segregate action items from to-do items, so you can crush each group separately and avoid multitasking.
- Turn off. Remove yourself from digital distractions. Writing personalized emails, creating market copy, and conducting research all require intense focus and cognitive space to think clearly.
- Plan/Prepare. You know yourself best. If you need two hours to complete a project, plan for it. Be sure to gather all of the materials necessary for your success before sitting down to avoid interruptions.
- Minimize tabs. Having seven tabs open is not conducive to focused work time. Keep only the ones you need and eliminate the rest.
- Take Breaks. Go for a walk, listen to some music, or grab a cup of coffee, as necessary. Carving out time for an actual break is more beneficial than distractedly working on tasks because you’re cognitively spent.
The age of information and the accompanying increased rate of data consumption have led to digital dementia and habitual multitasking. These constant bleeps, notifications, and distractions are resulting in stress, burnout, and ineffective working. Managing our digital lives with careful consideration is important for decreasing digital dementia and reducing multi-tasking. Properly managing these distractions means we can work more efficiently, and therefore, more happily.
