A friend used to say, “If it ain't on a screen, I ain't reading it!” This seems to hold true when we look at the general consensus of the American population. The American addiction to framed rectangles couldn't be more obvious, as we're diving into an era where many families have television sets, smartphones, tablets, desktop PCs, and laptops. Did I mention tablets?

The New York Times reports that many of these devices are actually used simultaneously in many American households. In the workplace, it's not much different, as many companies are putting their employees through the “torture” of adding more screens to their cubicles or offices. In fact, having more than one monitor is in fashion. We may laugh until our bellies flip over, but there's one reason that Americans are such “screeny” people.

The more screens you have, the more productive you are. Americans like to get multiple things done, even if it means wasting time in as many ways as possible. Employers hope that they can hone in on this screen insanity and develop ways to make their underlings more productive. It's logical: The more screens you have, the more windows you can view simultaneously.

On the other hand, many studies put multiple screens as the cause for less productivity. Even though many screen-happy people say that one screen just doesn't cut it, it seems that productivity still depends on who is behind the screen(s). Americans are a bored people. They'd do anything for a little instant gratification and entertainment. Heck, the country's top industry is based on entertainment. While one screen may contain a boring spreadsheet, the others might contain GTalk, Yahoo, MSN, Facebook, Twitter (News - Alert), and – our favorite – FarmVille.

It's logical to conclude that multiple screens could potentially increase distraction. After all, many Americans see a new screen as a new portal to opening up a Facebook (News - Alert) page or instant messaging window.