The economic principle I examined was institutions are the rules of the game that influence our choices.There are many situations where this economic principle can be applied to the real world. For instance, while researching my topic: How can institutions help us be more productive at a time when there are so many distractions I found many examples of how institutions can help people become more productive.
In my first blog post, I focused on what kind of schedule maximizes productivity. I explained that the world we live in now is filled with distractions.“ the companies responsible for programming your phones are working hard to get you and your family to feel the need to check them constantly”. Some programmers call are calling it brain hacking. The solution to combating these technological distractions is implementing breaks. Institutions can set optimal schedules for productivity by implementing breaks in the workplace, and giving students recess in the higher grade levels so that students will not feel the need to constantly check their devices and become less mentally prepared to complete the task at hand.
In my second blog post, I studied the importance of physical environment on productivity. I learned that the optimal work environment is one that is comfortable Dr. Craig Night has researched the impact of the work environment for years and he concludes that " the ideal work environment should be created by those who work there". He points out the idea that if people feel at home they will complete tasks at a faster rate. In fact, he conducted a study where he allowed people to create their own work environment and "productivity increased by 30%".Therefore Institutions should allow individuals to create their own work environment so efficiently can increase in the workplace.
In my third blog post, I researched the impact of focus on our productivity. I learned that to be productive we should engage in deep work. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. According to Cal Newport associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, the act of looking at the phone itself is what puts people off task, not the duration that people look at their phones. For this reason, Cal suggests that you should isolate yourself so that you can perform quality deep work. Institutions can help people be more productive by allowing individuals to be alone while working with certain exceptions.
In my final blog post, I researched the relationship between multitasking and high productivity. I was surprised to learn that multitasking does not actually exist. According to Nancy K. Nappier he reality is that the brain is switching from task to task very rapidly giving the illusion of multitasking. This idea of multitasking is detrimental to productivity. For example According to a study conducted by Stanford University individuals who multitask were less likely to recall information and pay attention. From this, we can conclude that multitasking has a large negative impact on individuals. Therefore multitasking should be banned by institutions so that productivity can increase.
