Multitasking

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Most people, at some point or other, are multitasking. Doing two things at the same time in order to get them done faster. Sometimes, the two activities are similar, and doing both together as one task makes sense. Other times the various activities in the ‘multitasking pool’ are vastly different ~ making it unclear whether multitasking is, in reality, saving any time at all.

There are different ‘forms’ of multitasking. One form is where you yourself are the only person involved with the multitude of tasks. The other form is where there are more people than just you involved...

It seems that one of the most common multitasking events is to carry on a conversation while doing something else ~ talking about something while doing the dishes, folding the laundry, watching TV ~ but also while shopping, taking a walk in the park etc. now that cell phones are everywhere...
And usually, this seems to work pretty well.

Have you noticed though that every time you are focusing on one of the activities, the other seems to stop for a moment? If you really want to get your point across in the conversation, your hands stop doing dishes, folding laundry; you probably even would look up from the TV ~ and feel a sense of frustration when the other person doesn’t look up, doesn’t appreciate the importance of what you have to say.

Suddenly, what started out as ‘multitasking’ has become an issue of respect for one another; and for the conversation you are engaged in. After all, nothing spells “What you are saying is not important to me” than keep staying focused on ‘the other task’ you are involved with.

And doing things while talking on a cell phone brings up other things that can be disrespectful, and even quite dangerous ~ but which certainly take away from your being aware of what is going on around you at that time.

So what does this say about ‘multitasking’ as an activity? Does it make multitasking ‘good, bad or indifferent’?
Or does it just create a division between forms of multitasking that are morally acceptable, and forms of multitasking that are being frowned upon ~ or even made illegal like using a cell phone while driving?

At any rate it shows that some tasks are more suitable for multitasking than others. It does seem to suggest that, unless ‘watching the kids’ is one of the tasks at hand ~ you should be the only person involved with your multiple tasks at hand.
And some things should just not be part of the multitasking experience. Like driving, or interacting with others.
We owe that to ourselves, and to others around us.
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