Attention Please:

The first thing I thought of when I read the business article was Google. Our beloved Google Inc. is the perfect example of a business that recognized the attention problem and used it to its advantage. We've talked in class before about the Google search engine's minimalist design. No flashing ads or pop-up windows. Just the Google logo, a text box, some buttons - but mostly blank space. It's refreshing to go to a Web page that isn't cluttered with a mass of ads, all competing for your attention.

As I progressed further in the reading, it occurred to me that I have developed an attention deficit problem. Ever since I got my iPhone, I've been feeling more and more overwhelmed at times. On a few particularly e-mail/voicemail-filled days, I've had to turn my phone off, shut down my laptop and take a few deep breaths. Multitasking makes me crazy, no matter how skilled I am at doing it.

My attention span has been notably shot. I have to re-read paragraphs because I lose my train of thought or start thinking about something else while reading. I've been embarrassed to admit it, but the readings for this class have shed some light on what seems to be a common problem.

As for finding "Better ways to manage attention," I agree with Davenport, T.H. & Beck that solutions must be found, but disagree with the fact that new technology couldn't potentially help ease the problem. Seeing as how the Internet isn't going to go away anytime soon, perhaps there will be a solution in Web 2.0 technologies, many of which allow users to customize and filter out what information they receive. The business article says that "the payoff for allocating my attention in a specific direction can be great - I can learn something, change something for the better, fix what's broken, or gratify another human being." As long as that list can include being able to sit down and read a book, the Web 2.0 concept seems like a plausible solution in being able to manage the bombardment of information.

I think also that this attention problem is closely linked to American culture. We are pressured to work hard, make our own lives and keep up with what's going on around us. After studying abroad in Europe for a semester, it seems to me that Europeans are far less concerned with remaining constantly in the information loop than Americans are. And it would be far more acceptable in Europe to turn off your Blackberry and miss a few business calls to spend time with your family. In fact, it might be taboo to leave it on.

This idea is represented perfectly in the Maggie Jackson quotation in the CJR article, which says that "multitasking is part of a wider value system that venerates speed, frenetic activity, hyper-mobility, etcetera, as the paths to success. That’s why we’re willing to drive like drunks or work in frenzied ways, although it literally might kill us.” And if Davenport, T.H., & Beck are correct, the attention battle is leading us away from success, rather than helping us attain it.