Information load. Why is pace bad for the brain?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

A very interesting article on the topic of information loading. It will be relevant to everyone who works in the field of mental work, information processing, literature, scientific data, etc.

Modern technologies are constantly attacking our brain, unleashing unprecedented amounts of information on it. Someone believes that multitasking is possible, but many scientists believe that such a mode of communication with the outside world is not at all good for us. The question is how to protect yourself from its side effects without becoming an information ascetic. Neuroscientist, musician and writer Daniel Levitin of McGill University recently presented his new book, The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, at a lecture at the University of Cambridge. And he explained why multitasking negatively affects our productivity and how to deal with it.

We really live in an era when the world is overloaded with information. According to Google estimates, humanity has already produced about 300 exabytes of information (that's 300 followed by 18 zeros). Just 4 years ago, the amount of existing information was estimated at 30 exabytes. It turns out that over the past few years we have produced more information than in the entire history of mankind. Every day we have to process 5 times more data than 25-30 years ago. It's like reading 175 newspapers a day from cover to cover! My point is that information overload is a reality. This is the mismatch between the information we produce and our ability to process it.

In addition to trying to cope with the exabytes of information on the web, we are overwhelmed with new daily tasks. If 30 years ago travel agencies organized travel, sellers handed out the necessary goods in the store, cashiers punched it, and typists helped business people to correspond, now we have to do everything ourselves. Many professions have simply disappeared. We book tickets and hotels ourselves, check in for the flight ourselves, choose the products ourselves and even punch them ourselves at self-service counters. Moreover, utility bills now also have to be obtained independently on a special website! For example, in Canada they simply stopped sending them. That is, we began to do work for ten and at the same time we are still trying to keep up with our own life: taking care of children, parents, communicating with friends, finding time for work, hobbies and favorite TV shows. In total, we spend about 5 hours a week on tasks that other people used to do for us.

It seems to us that we are doing several things at the same time, that we are multitasking, but in fact this is a very big misconception. Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT and one of the leading experts in attention, argues that our brains are not designed to multitask. When people think they are busy with several things at the same time, they actually just switch from one task to another very quickly. And each time it takes certain resources.

By shifting attention from one task to another, the brain burns glucose, which is also needed to maintain concentration. Due to the constant switching, fuel is quickly consumed, and we feel tired after a few minutes, because in the literal sense, we have exhausted the nutritional resources of the brain. This jeopardizes the quality of both mental and physical work.

In addition, frequent task switching causes anxiety and increases levels of the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for stress. This can lead to aggressive and impulsive behavior.

However, the habit of switching between tasks is difficult to get rid of, since each new task triggers the release of dopamine, the hormone responsible for "rewarding" the brain. Thus, a person gets pleasure from switching, becomes dependent on it.

Another argument that multitasking doesn't work is a recent study by Stanford neuroscientist Russ Poldrak. He found that memorizing information while multitasking leads to information being stored in the wrong place. When children learn their homework and watch TV at the same time, the information from the textbooks gets into the striatum, the part of the brain responsible for conditioned reflexes, behavior and skills, but not for storing facts and ideas. If there are no distractions, information enters the hypothalamus, where it is structured and categorized according to different criteria, which makes it easier to access it in the future. Thus, humans are incapable of multitasking. This is all self-deception. Our brains are happy to be deceived, but in reality our work is becoming less creative and effective.

“I don’t want to decide anything” is a serious signal from the brain

On top of that, multitasking requires us to constantly make decisions. Reply to the message now or later? How to answer it? How and where to save this message? Should I keep working or take a break? All of these small decisions require as much energy as important and meaningful ones, so they just tire the brain. We spend a lot of energy on small decisions, but there is a risk that we will not be able to make the right choice when necessary. We seem to understand what is important to us and what is not, but the same processes occur in the brain. Deciding which color to use for the pen and deciding whether to enter into a contract with a particular company takes the same resources.

Of course, no matter how hard we try to avoid performing several tasks at the same time, it will not be possible to completely get away from this. However, there are powerful ways to tidy up your own head, become more productive, and have more enjoyment out of life.

Divide the work into cycles

What do air traffic controllers and simultaneous interpreters have in common? These professions are very stressful as they require constant shifting of attention between tasks. Therefore, people in such professions work in "cycles" and often take short breaks. At work we are more and more inundated with letters, errands, and calls. Try taking 15 minute breaks every hour or two. You can take a walk, get some fresh air. Then, when you return, you can work faster and more efficiently. Studies show that overwork reduces efficiency, with tired employees spending an hour on work that takes 20 minutes.

Change your concentration mode

Taking breaks is closely related to two modes of attention in which the brain can function. The first is the central-executive mode, the second is the mind-wandering mode. The latter is activated when reading literature, admiring art, walking or taking a nap. 15 minutes in this mode allows you to "reboot" the brain and feel refreshed and rested. Thoughts at this time just incoherently arise in the head, you do not control them. You have to force yourself to periodically go into "wandering" mode, disconnect from the Internet and e-mail.

In addition, you probably have tasks that take a lot of time to complete and tasks that take a few minutes to complete. Don't jump from one type of task to another all day. It is better to set aside a certain time for checking mail (for example, twice a day) and read all received messages at once, and not go into the mail after each notification.

Make big decisions in the morning

There was such an experiment: people were invited to a laboratory to take part in a survey. But first they were bombarded with questions: What color do you want a pen? Black or blue? How to arrange a sheet of paper? Vertically or horizontally? Do you want coffee? Two tablespoons of sugar or three? With or without milk? And after that, a questionnaire was handed out, where really important philosophical problems were posed. Most people couldn't handle it anymore, they needed a break. They felt tired after the previous series of small decisions. The takeaway from this experiment is that important decisions need to be made early in the day.

Build brain expanders

Brain expanders are anything that transfers information from our head to the real world: calendars, notebooks, to-do lists, a key box in the hallway. For example, if you are listening to the weather forecast and the announcer announces that it will rain tomorrow, then instead of trying to remember to grab an umbrella, put it right at the front door. Now the environment itself reminds you of the umbrella. The bottom line is that all these blocks of information are fighting for space and resources in our head, confusing your thoughts. As a result, it becomes more and more difficult for you to pay attention to what you are doing at the moment.

Live in the moment

It seems to me that it is wrong to be physically in one place, and thoughts in another. But this often happens. At work, we think about the fact that we still need to walk the dog, pick up the child from the garden and call the aunt. And when we find ourselves at home, we remember all the work that was not done during the day. I am not encouraging everyone to turn into robots, but I think it is important to be able to perform their tasks at work and have more time for rest, adventure, communication, art. If your thoughts are in a different place, then you get much less pleasure from life. When you communicate with a person, imagine that now this is the only person on earth, give him all your attention. Then both work and play will begin to bring more pleasure.

Do not overdo it

An important thing in the pursuit of efficiency is not to spend too much time organizing your life. If it seems to you that you are already coping with everything so quickly, then it is not worth wasting time.