Multitasking does not exist, we just do multiple things not as well as if we had concentrated on one – or so says Dave Coplin, CEO of Microsoft.

This CEO is slightly different though, Dave is chief envisioning officer, trying to make sense of the relationship which exists between the technology and us humans.

And he argues that rather than being the liberating force that was sold to us, technology now deluges us with information during every waking hour, to the point where we become a prisoner to the extent that it constrains us.

That has been accelerated by the rapid growth of mobile technology, meaning that while we have a device at hand we will crave more information – ask yourself how long you can go between checking your phone for the latest post or message.

In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone was supposed to promote human engagement by giving us the ability to communicate across vast distances, the same technology now enables and encourages people sat side by side in an office to email rather than speak.

Furthermore, we have developed mechanisms to cope with the deluge of information:

1. Skimming – We skim read to process as quickly as possible, and often take content out of context or miss the whole point.

2. Snacking – We get satisfaction from gaining more and more information, so often move on before we have digested what we have just read or seen.

3. Filtering – Algorithms, and therefore technology, often control what we see by giving us what it thinks are the best matches – so we don’t see the whole picture which would allow us to make human judgements.

4. Multitasking – we think if we do multiple things at the same time we achieve more. Research has shown that we are 33 per cent less efficient performing a task when multitasking, than when we do them one at a time. In the same test a software developer interrupted by email was shown to take 23 minutes to get back to the work they were doing once distracted.

So how do we ensure that the next ping, beep or ringtone doesn’t control our actions and that we don’t become Pavlov’s dogs?

We have to become mindful of our use, and the amount of our use of devices – there is such a thing as bad usage.

Take control and leverage our use of technology for maximum benefit, not be constrained by it.

And possibly most important, allow the humans, not the machines, to take control and rise.

Dave Colpin, chief envisioning officer at Microsoft will be completing his own personal hat-trick by joining more than 100 other speakers for his third year at Digital 2015 on June 8 and 9 at The Celtic Manor Resort.

To get your free ticket visit www.digital2015.co.uk and follow @digital2015 for the latest festival news and updates.

See page 8 for pictures from last Tuesday's Digital Tuesday event at The Urban Tap House, Newport.