…Master of None. Quite often, the second part of this old adage is omitted. In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking is a buzzword that makes us feel guilty when we stop to ponder what we’re doing, rather than leaping to the next task.
In a recent article on NYTimes.com, Russell Poldrack, Director of the Imaging Research Center and professor of psychology and neurobiology at UT Austin, questions the advantages of multi-tasking. His research shows decreased effectiveness as simultaneous tasks increase. Dr. Poldrack estimates that “supertaskers” – those who can multi-task without affecting performance – make up only three percent of the population; the rest of us need to focus on the task at hand to perform at our best.
In his book “The Shallows – What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains ,” Nicholas Carr discusses the effect that the Information Age is having on our brains. As the brain adapts to manage rapidly incoming information from diverse sources, it becomes less reflective and more likely to accept information at face value without analysis. In addition, constant novel information can provide a stimulus that considered reflection cannot, causing the brain to crave stimulation. This has been linked in preliminary research to parts of the brain that influence attention disorders and addiction.
When I began my career as a graphic designer in the early ‘80s, the field was full of specialized artists: from typesetters to photographers, darkroom technicians to strippers (relax, it was a very specialized job in printing – all clothing remained on), printing press operators to writers, even graphic designers were all specialists – even artists – at their jobs.
Now (as I’ve been told more than once), anyone who can figure out the mysteries of Windows can be a graphic designer or an instructional designer – heck, there are even templates! The quality of the end product has fallen off a cliff, but there’s no one left to notice. Is mastery is disappearing? Has Jack inherited the Earth?
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