Why in my day...

[by Todd] Time's current cover story has too much packed into it to pass off as just another lament about kids these days. If you can look past the requisite predictions of doom and gloom for a whole generation, there are some fascinating insights on how people multitask. Marketers take heed.

Among other insights is a physiological exploration of how the brain multitasks. The article identifies the portions of the brain used and notes that they develop in the teen years and start deteriorating as we approach our 60s.

When it comes to multitasking not all tasks are created equally. Talking on the phone, listening to music and maintaining an IM session works fine so long as none require complex thought. Driving through a storm while trying to dictate a letter, not so much.

So what? Well if you have a prayer of talking to teens or young adults then it is imperative to understand that you won't get their undivided attention for a traditional advertising message. So you either get really simple, or get smart. This is a generation that is all about surfing, discovering new content and being the first to share it with their friends. There is your opportunity.

For those who lament that this deluge of technology is going to be the ruin of youth (and there are some surprisingly well-educated people in the article doing just that), take time to read Steve Johnson's essay. His point is powerful and simple, the technology is here, get over it. We need to focus on how we're preparing a new generation to use it.

Comments

[Mark True]

A traditional advertising message? Heck I'd like to get my nine-year-old to understand a pick-up-your-room message, but I guess that kind of communication has never worked efficiently.

I've not yet read that article, but I've got it set aside so that I can read it sometime when I'm NOT multitasking.

Thanks for highlighting it.