Boxing = Multitasking = Brain Atrophy?

[Xzin]

http://science.slashdot.org/article..../01/27/2221228

"Multitasking messes with the brain in several ways. At the most basic level, the mental balancing acts that it requires — the constant switching and pivoting — energize regions of the brain that specialize in visual processing and physical coordination and simultaneously appear to shortchange some of the higher areas related to memory and learning. We concentrate on the act of concentration at the expense of whatever it is that we're supposed to be concentrating on... studies find that multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems through biochemical friction, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy."

An interesting conversation.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

If multitasking caused brain atrophy, airplane pilots would be the dumbest SoBs on the planet. A simplistic view to be sure but no more so than some of the tripe in that article. :whistling:

[kayb]

I suspect they may be onto something here. It's not so bad for us. After the learning phase is over, you pretty much do it without thinking. So it feels for me anyway. But I imagine if I totally randomized my gazillion hotkeys every week, I'd be an old man already. It's kinda like playing an instrument, after a while all the phrases are so well rehersed, that you don't think, you just play.

[StrikeQ]

multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline

Well if I multi task well, but my adrenal glands aren't functioning correctly(according to the doctor) what then? lol

[Djarid]

I don't really consider multi-boxing to be proper multi-tasking, yes it is more complex than a simple solo game of WOW but all the characters are managed through a common interface with a common task, admittedly sub-tasks are different but contribute to the common aim.

My work however can be very stressful purely due to the necessity to quickly swap between disparate tasks are short notice.

[aetherg]

I find that I play the group more like a single uber-character than five separate characters. Everything I do is still sequential; I just perform actions much faster, since I'm working with two global cooldowns rather than one.

[Notes]

I'm more affraid of chocking my self in beer because I start lauging again from the multi boxing fun in Ogr hehe... :thumbsup:

It indeed is just learning for me, mostly remembering the buttons, but most of that is a second nature for me now

Glad I've read this article, gonna sit back and relax at work today .. Might get a wee bit older!

[-silencer-]

So.. flying a helicopter is bad?

Good point.. both hands doing separate functions, and use of both feet as well. After learning how to fly a few Army helicopters and knowing how difficult it can be, there's no way in hell I'd take a ride with anyone else as a pilot who doesn't have years of airtime under his belt.

I think this article is referring to a more broad form of multitasking.. multi-boxing WoW would probably be classified as still only one activity, although more difficult than just playing one character. I think it's referring to more of a working-world situation, where the multitasking activites are totally unrelated and require completely different chains of thought to carry out. For example, a software engineer who has to break his mindset to deal with customer service, while also peer reviewing completely unrelated code, managing expense reports, and reviewing current employee performances.

[Hypermoo]

In general, I agree the dual-boxing is not really multi-tasking. My brain automatically does the extra steps required. More than once, while playing a single character, I will press my /follow button (which is bound to other actions on my solo characters, and causes me to dismount).

There was this one time I 3-boxed for a really long time, took a nap irl, and woke up wondering if all the other copies of myself were awake. Is that bad?

[Stealthy]

I blame WoW for my brain atrpohy!