The Alzheimer's Prevention Program by Gary Small

Author:Gary Small
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2012-03-11T05:00:00+00:00

The Stress of Technology and Multitasking

Valerie H., a 62-year-old bank vice president, was worried about her memory. She couldn’t recall the details of her accounts as well as she used to, and she’d even begun to miss appointments. During her first visit with me, she was uncomfortable turning off her phone—she had a pressing work issue and had to stay in touch with the office. She took three or four calls during our meeting, and there must have been a pinging sound every few minutes, signaling a new text message or e-mail. She kept apologizing, but was unwilling, or maybe just unable, to disconnect from her devices. In addition to her phone, she had her iPad and laptop computer next to her in her briefcase—just in case.

Valerie’s high anxiety stemmed in part from her technology addiction as well as her chronic multitasking. When I asked her about the possibility that her constant online life was contributing to her stress, she got defensive and said that she used the technology to make her life more efficient so she could free up more time to enjoy herself after work. But in truth she wasn’t enjoying herself. She was under extreme stress from her nonstop work, which she took home with her at night, and couldn’t stop using her gadgets.

I learned that many of her worries about her memory began when she upgraded her cell phone, which was just too much for her to handle. Her life was so frenetic that she didn’t really have time to learn how to use the new phone correctly, and this created even more stress for her. Since I happened to have the same phone, I told her that the store that sells them has weekend classes on how to use it. I also suggested that she try a gadget-free afternoon each weekend to give her brain a break. Another strategy was to take a ten-minute break at work when she became anxious from multitasking. She followed my advice, reduced her stress levels, and her memory improved.

Valerie’s experience is shared by many baby boomers who notice age-related memory changes and feel overwhelmed by all the new technology in their lives. These devices are meant to make our lives more efficient and even augment our biological memories. However, as they lure us into multitasking, they give us the perception of greater mental efficiency, but that perception comes at a cost. Recent research indicates that multitasking may lead to faster work, but with more errors—we actually become less efficient, having to go back and repeat tasks that weren’t done correctly the first time. Whenever I have a tight deadline on a writing assignment, I make a point of turning off all my devices except those necessary to complete the task. Without the distractions, I get a lot more done in a shorter period of time.

One of the problems of multitasking is that although it seems like we’re getting more done, our brains require time to switch from one task to another—an inefficient process.

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