It’s Not The Devices, It’s How You Use Them
Image Via kellysnaturallysweet.blogspot.com
Between push notifications, text messages, and the occasional actual phone call, most users’ mobile devices are literally buzzing with activity. Unlike most “traditional” computing devices, whose applications and platforms primarily rely on visual (pop up windows, progress bars, number tallies, and interface animations) and audio cues (think the equally iconic and passé “you’ve got mail”) the majority of mobile devices also offer a tactile notification option, such as a patterned vibration. As much as someone can differentiate their alerts by selecting different tones, colors, etc, when a power user is simultaneously using a laptop and a mobile device, the attention economy becomes more competitive as the complexity of the system increases. At a certain point, this can affect the way that a user processes information and can ultimately lead to information loss.
