multi-tasking

Is a word we take for granted, but it was actually only coined in the mid-1960's. Then, it was strictly a computer term meaning: The concurrent operation by one central processing unit of two or more processes. (dictionary.com) However, it was found to be used more and more as computers became more and more prevalent. Apparently just 20 years ago, it wasn't considered normal to talk to 20 friends at once, check your mail, look up information on a project, get a weather report, and browse the photos you took on vacation last weekend all in the span of the same 10 minutes. In fact, people used to do.... wait... one thing at a time!
I mean, don't get me wrong. The computer age has increased productivity thousands of times over, and helps people every day (like yours truly) procrastinate to the last minute and still come up with professional looking projects for my bachelors degree.
However, its kind of a shame in a way. It used to be that to talk to a friend you had to give them your undivided attention. If you had a project to do, you did it... without distraction... until it was finished. It probably prevented brains from going in 25 directions at once... Music is the only thing that I can safely say I don't multitask during... practice is practice... but if my cell phone rings, i generally answer. Or if im with a friend, and my IM goes off... i answer it... and check my mail, and the weather... and a host of other things... and they all do the same.
Its the paradox of technology. The world moves much faster than we were designed to. Sometime it would be nice to give up multitasking... maybe we can pretend its 1955...