Multi-Tasking and The Digital All in a Healthy Society

 Originally the term multi-tasking had emerged in the 60s and was used to describe computers' ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously because it can, as it is a machine and not a human. 

It is hard to tell at what moment it all started, but with the computer's influence, the term multi-tasking was adopted by human resources and recruiters to describe human functions, completely dismissing the fact that the human brain is designed differently and by no means can it replicate computer capabilities.

When we want to describe a person who is effective in performing multiple tasks, it would be more honest to say that they can rapidly switch between their tasks and avoid errors. Multi-tasking is, therefore, not the same as rapid task switching, and the latter has its own implications. In order to be an effective "rapid task switcher", one must prioritize properly and minimize external distractions.

It appears that due to the machine and automation-driven environments that we are constantly exposed to and are an indivisible part of, our perception of what is anatomically possible and what's not is distorted. As a result of this serious distortion, oftentimes working adults are expected to demonstrate skills and mental and physical abilities that are incompatible with their own anatomy. 

When our body shows signs of exhaustion and the mind loses its capacity to function effectively simply because it needs some rest, good nutrition, and a change of activity, instead of accommodating those basic needs, we choose to be dismissive of them, playing along with the established professional norms and demands. The management supports these destructive trends and praises us for overperforming and overworking. 

Nowadays, it is nearly impossible to meet an employer who genuinely pays attention to a real work-life balance, demonstrating courtesy and asking a colleague: "How are you feeling today?", "How was your ride from home to work in this weather?", "Are you thirsty/hungry?", or, when inviting you to his office for a brief meeting: "Please have a seat", "Make yourself comfortable", and: "Are you thirsty? - have some water".

For many employers and business people, such courtesies may sound wild, but these small and timely gestures can go a long way in making a difference: our interactions, and as a result, life quality, will improve dramatically.

And what about self-care? How can working, career-driven adults betray themselves on a daily basis, systematically depriving their bodies of a good, nutritional breakfast or lunch because they are always in a hurry?  How can they allow their brain cells to explode from overthinking and stressing without mental breaks? 

It is simply destructive to regularly compare ourselves to machines and make it a goal to function like them to meet the perceived social, professional, and economic demands. We will never become machines even if we try very hard. The only logical outcome of such efforts is our eventual demise as a spiritual, sane, and healthy society. 

AI, Automation, and People-Focused Professions

 Every now and then I talk to AI enthusiasts who are very excited about the idea that every single human life aspect will be soon automated or AI-assisted due to far-reaching technological capabilities and advancements. It isn't merely about the fact that such a drastic change in lifestyle is just logically consequential and is therefore unavoidable, but also about the level of their unhidden euphoria about it. 

It is surprising and at the same time disappointing to see how some of the AI advocates turn a blind eye to the social aspect of these changes that so radically impact the architecture of our lives and penetrate it on a very personal level. The fact that some professions will become obsolete due to the introduction of AI and automated solutions is not an issue, on the contrary - it has many advantages as it will release a lot of human potential to allow it to focus on other important life aspects that may be very fulfilling and enriching. The main concern is the risk of devaluing people-focused professions that require emotional intelligence and a more intuitive and subjective kind of guidance and involvement. Some of such professions are: Social Workers, Behavioral Therapists, Clinical Psychiatrists, Mediators, Litigators, Lawyers, and perhaps there are some more that weren't mentioned here. 

To put individual destinies in the hands of AI isn't only eccentric but also irresponsible, because there is always a risk of errors in "judgment"; in the case of AI - error in computation. If something is computed inaccurately, such as professional advice or urgent instruction, someone's life can be destroyed to the core. 

With those considerations, some professions must be left alone and remain fully potent to perform their role in society. And AI functions within these professions must be introduced carefully and only to serve as a tool that helps people-focused professionals serve their authentic purpose.

Is "Digital Society" a Thing?

 During our Digital Society class discussion on what Society is and how it is connected to the digital world, some of us got carried away pondering over the true meaning of the expression "Digital Society". 

The argument that I really liked is how can society be digital if its property is physical by default, composed of physical beings, humans? 

To support this statement that was made by one of the participating students, I added that probably it'd be better to call it a Digitized Society, with "ed" at the end rather than "al". To describe a society in which the created content has been digitized and therefore extended into a digital platform.

Instinctually I want to use the term Digital to describe a time period, an Era, or an Age in which digital information transmittal has become a part of everyone's life. We live in a Digital Age. Just like our ancestors lived in other Eras and Ages:

• Iron Age: 1200 BCE - 500 CE
• Renaissance Era: 14th-17th centuries
• Enlightenment Era: 17th-19th centuries
• Industrial Era: 18th-20th centuries
• Digital Age: 20th century - present

How can we be a Digital Society when we are not virtual but physical beings? We may have a digital presence: an extension of our personal story, biography, and social footprints, but we do not physically migrate into the digital medium. We remain in a physical, tangible space where all of our senses work intact: smell, taste, sight, reflexes, and emotions.

There are some adjectives, however, that go well with the word Society and these are: 

• Ancient
• Contemporary
• Enlightened
• Modern

These are the properties that do not necessarily contradict our state of being, as breathing and feeling humans. We could, in fact, be ancient, contemporary, enlightened, or modern, and yet remain our own animated beings.

It appears that the degree of adventure and excitement that new, highly complex technological and computerized content brings into our lives, distracts us so much from our own candid, mental, and physical selves, that we've come to believe that we are an extension of the digital medium, rather than the latter being an extension of us.