Multitasking Can Make You Lose Um Focus

Growing up in a generation where technology is at our fingertips, the brain changes its organization and functioning to accommodate the abundance of stimulation forced on it by the modern world. I recognize where Restak’s logic comes from because individuals are so dependent on phones and laptops that it becomes a challenge for people to complete work on their own. People feel as if it is necessary to have an electronic device by their side, tricked into believing multitasking is an acquired skill when in reality the brain is struggling. With the constant use of extra devices, Restak suggests “multitasking”

In the excerpt from Richard Restak, he talked about how the plasticity of our brain is changing the way we do things toay. The human brain is changing everyday and there is no way anyone can stop it. Richard Restak, an expert on the brain, talks about how the plasticity of our brains is changing constantly. He believes that this change is negatively hindering our ability to focus and produce a single task. The rewiring of our brains is forcing us as humans to make many changes to our everyday lives, and the main change it is causing us is that in order to function we need to multitask. Multitasking is the new thing today; everyone wants to be able to do as many things as

Multitasking is possible but you can only do two task because the other will be forgotten. This information answers the research question by saying that multitasking is possible and it affects you by letting you only do two task at the same time (at most) because if you do more than you will forget the rest. People can multitask but only two task at a time. According to the article, Multitasking Spits the Brain it states “ the brain can’t juggle more than two task because it only hemispheres available for management” (Telis, 2010). This means that the brain is only able to do at most two task because it is not able to manage more task at the same time. Also, this article also states “ the triple-task jugglers consistently forgot one of their

In the essay “Multitasking can make you lose … Um … Focus” Alina Tugend exams why multitasking can make you lose focus. Tugend explains what multitasking is in the first section she also explains why it is bad. She then brings in a professor to explain how multitasking works in a scientific way. Alina Tugend then uses case studies to show how multitasking can cause loss of focus and impairment in motor activities. She then shows how multitasking can actually delay your progress on completing projects by constantly switching to different tasks. Tugend then sums it all up by trying to teach us how to better ourselves and to not multitask.

In “Multitasking Can Make You Lose...Um...Focus,” Alina Tugend examines the negative aspects and many disadvantages that occur through multitasking. Tugend begins by stating that multitasking is the norm for today’s fast paced society; however, in reality it is pulling focus from the task at hand. The author continues on to cite various researchers who express that the brain cannot simultaneously do two tasks at once and is actually just flipping back and forth between tasks rapidly. Although multitasking seems like a time efficient method, Tugend reveals, it is actually creating a large amount of stress and pressure on the individual. Furthermore, the author notes that multitasking actually pulls away from the task at hand creating a great time loss. Tugend even goes on to explain that multitasking is proving to be bad for innovation by not allowing an individual to think in depth about one task for an extended period of time. With Tugends article in mind I agree that multitasking puts a lot of stress and pressure on the individual, creates a loss in time, and is awful for innovation.

To start, Tugend and Carr connect their texts through their similar use of pathos which conveys the notion that technology is harmful to the human brain. In order for Tugend to illustrate the effect multitasking with technology can cause, Tugend describe the feeling of, “desperately trying to keep up with multitude of jobs, we feel a constant low level of panic and guilt” (717). Many people feel overwhelmed after being hit with multiple thoughts or when other people simultaneously talking to them. This type of reaction has a very similar effect on

In our busy lives, multitasking has become a normal day-to-day activity. In the twenty-first century, the ability to do multiple things simultaneously has become a valuable asset and is viewed as an essential skill by many. However, does multitasking negatively affect the outcome of your task? The practice of doing multiple things at once is detrimental to your efficiency, attentiveness, focus, and detracts from your ability to execute your task well.

We are just watering down the definition of multitasking. In my life many times we believe that we’re multitasking, but are we really mastering it. No! When I’m home listening to music, watching T.V. , and doing homework. Sure I’m multitasking, but am I mastering it. No, cause I really can’t listen to the lyrics of the song. I’m not paying close attention to the T.V. I have no clue what's going on. I’m also, not doing a good job on my homework. All this is because i’m distracted and not focus. Which means i’m not mastering multitasking. If I just really sat and focused on doing one thing at a time it will be so much better. If was just listening to music , I would know the lyrics of the song. If I was to focus just on the T.V. I would actually know what is going on. If I was to just do my homework and nothing else. I would be focusing and do my best on the assignment. So, yes I may be , multitasking ,but i'm not mastering it by any means. Also, in the classroom we did an experiment. In this experiment we split up into two groups. Group A went outside without any distractions. Group B stayed in the classroom with loud wacky music playing. Both groups were required to finish an easy quiz in a matter of a few minutes. After the time was up both groups gathered back in the classroom. And went over their quiz results group at the group without the distractions got more questions right by a landslide over group B.

Many people take pride in the fact that they can multitask. A study “Task Switching” conducted by Monsell concluded that multitasking, or switching

Yelling at your children…” She also says that “since the 1990’s we’ve accepted multitasking without questions,” helping give background and showing how new technology has changed our working habits.In the second paragraph on the second page of the article she explains more how technology has changed and how there are now more distractions; however, she never explicitly states how new technology has changed how much and how often we multitask. In the next paragraph she helps explain how it can hurt productivity by quoting a psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell with the statement “you have to keep in mind that you sacrifice focus when you do this”

In this modern era, it has become commonplace to try and accomplish as many tasks as possible as quickly as possible in order to be more efficient. With the help of technology, many believe that multitasking is becoming a required and helpful skill. Multitasking is actually a detrimental habit. Multitasking divides a person's concentration in order to attempt to complete multiple actions. Even though in the end the tasks are all finished, the quality of the finished task and the time required to finish all the tasks makes multitasking very inefficient. In addition, this division of concentration is causing many people to not pay attention. For most, multitasking is a disadvantageous skill that should not be encouraged as a valid

It has been well established that human attention does not accommodate multitasking. The “cocktail party effect” described by Dr. Adam Gazzaley shows that true multitasking is impossible: during a cocktail party, someone can listen to a conversation while shifting their attention to look at another individual having a different conversation but can only notice minor details about the other conversation, such as the sound of their name (Richtel, 62). In addition, the possibility that a person can focus on two different things at once is further diminished by how the two main forms of human attention, bottom-up and top-down, function. Top-down attention is involved in focusing on goals and tasks like writing a paper, making a meal, or driving; on the other hand, bottom-up attention is what causes someone’s attention to focus on something instantly, such as the sounding of a fire alarm or a sound from a cell phone (Richtel, 105-6). This means that a driver’s focus (top-down attention) can be taken completely off the road by a vibration or noise that comes from their cell phone’s capturing their bottom-up attention.

Multitasking is a common technique used by most people that is thought to be a way of getting tasks done quicker. With the need for speed in today’s society there is more that has to be done in a minimal time. But what people do not realize is that when they cram their work into a limited amount of time, it can backfire altogether. Within this paper will be an explanation of the negative side effects that may come with multitasking such as stress, physical health problems, and frequently making mistakes.

Hook: Everyone thinks that multitasking is good for the brain and that everyone should want that skill. Well unfortunately studies proven by scientist at the institute in Paris Santé et de la Recherche Médication found that the brain splits into two, basically splitting the attention. It was said that at the most someone can do two things at once depending on the ease of the tasks. The reason being for this is due to the two frontal lobes of the brain designed to help someone with tasks.

4). It is very difficult to do “two complex tasks” at once (Paul 5). For instance, doing email and listening to the phone. These tasks diverts the mind due to which people do not focus properly on them and results in lower efficiency. Multitaskers omit much information and it takes time to refocus on both of them. Therefore, “Efficiency can drop by as much as 40%” (Atchly par. 2). Peter Bregman mentions that in the reality, “the more you multitask, the worse you are at it” (519). It means that multitasking decrease the ability to think and focus after switch task. Multitasking not only affects the quality of the work…, … it can affect the brain’s gray matter , which is associated with memory, decision making and more” (Vito par. 8). Hence, multiple tasks results in the poor productivity.