Gina Trapani, having found herself marinated in studies about productivity and the internet, muses (in Lifehacker) on what it all means:
Every time a new research study around personal productivity and office culture appears, we dutifully post the “proof” that information overload, email distractions, and multitasking are keeping you from getting work done—but are they? Sure, many of these findings seem very feasible, but it’s hard not to think they’re published only as a crutch for a larger commercial or media message—either “the internet is destroying your life!” or “you need to buy this product.” …
Even though we’re very much a cog in this giant machine, I have my doubts.
The longer I do this, the more I suspect that a good part of the “information overload” story is a myth cooked up by folks who don’t know how to use the internet well in order to demonize something they don’t understand. I get more done via email and surfing the web than my parents ever did using phones and libraries, even when I’m having a bad day and switch to my email application the moment I see a new message notification.