Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Continuous Partial Attention?
Jeff Kenton | Mar 30 2006
Hi everyone, I was reading the March 27 Newsweek, and Steven Levy's column caught my attention. In the article, he quotes a conference talk given my Linda Stone. Linda used to work at both Apple and Microsoft. She's concerned about a phenomenon called Continuous Partial Attention (CPA). This affliction (my word) involves trying to engage oneself in two worlds simultaneously. Levy also provides a metaphor: "A live Blackberry or even a switched-on mobile phone is an admission that your commitment to your current activity is as fickle as Renee Zellweger's wedding vows." (Ouch.) and: What can be done? Is it rude to assume that I can ask my conversation partner to unhook the bluetooth earbud when talking to me? Can I take away my meeting group's Blackberrys until the meeting is over? Does anyone have any strategies for dealing with this? 17 Comments
POSTED IN:
 Well....Submitted by jkenton on March 31, 2006 - 6:41am.
randellt wrote:
Levy and Stone seem like they want to pin the problem on technology and connectedness while ignoring the fact that people are choosing to act inappropriately. I believe quite to the contrary. The reason the talk was given, and the article written, was to point out to all the rest of us that this is happening. I also believe that Levy and Stone appreciate what tech does for everyone. They are pointing out the issues that can occur when people interact "virtually" rather than "actually." A weird thought... If Douglas Adams wrote Hitchhiker's Guide today, would Ford Prefect be called Blackberry Ipod? (I hope that isn't too much of an inside joke.) » POSTED IN:
|
|
| EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |
