Multitasking Is Unhealthy

Multitasking, helpful or harmful? In Alina Tugend’s “Multitasking Can Make You Lose…Um…Focus”, Tugend explores multitasking in several ways. Explaining how we as humans sacrifice focus “shifting focus from task to task gives illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking”. Also, how our brains react to operating and trying to do more than one task at once. Only one or two visual stimulants can activate our neurons at one particular time. Lastly, how we can recreate boundaries and cope with everyday life and multitasking. Tugend reiterates several times the importance of one task at a time so we as humans can effectively complete tasks to the best of our abilities instead of giving partial focus and not efficiently completely a task. Multitasking is very beneficial at times, but more often there are significant downfalls; it is crucial we learn how to manage the downfalls of juggling tasks, events, conversations, and daily events.

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.

Clay shirky, a professor at NYU brings this matter to life through his article “Why I just asked my students to put their laptops away” provides us with a more in-depth look at this issue. Shirky states that “People often start multi-tasking because they believe it will help them get more done. Those gains never materialize; instead, efficiency is degraded. However, it provides emotional gratification as a side-effect.” Although the students are set out to improve using multi-tasking, shirky believes that they are in fact worsening with this view on

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.

What is multitasking and how does it affect our everyday lives? Multitasking is defined as rapidity switching from one task to another or completing several tasks concurrently instead of focusing primarily on one task and one task only. Even though, multitasking can make a task more enjoyable it can also make our performance less efficient. I have come to find that though my personal experiences that multitasking is a normal act we perform in our everyday lives, and focusing on a single task is almost impossible. A few prime examples of everyday multitasking are listening to the radio while completing homework assignments or answering the telephone at work while typing daily logs. It is far more likely for an individual to be performed more than one task at a given time, even if multitasking is having a negative effect on our cognitive thinking and causing undesirable stress.

There is an abundance of scary literature out there predicting gloom and doom for the millions of users of social media and smart phones. We are living in a whole new world one that goes faster than the speed of light, and we are equipped with gadgets that would have made Gene Rodenberry gasp and naturally there have been folks that fear for our sanity and ability to think rationally. These new and amazing tools that we now have the ability to not only mostly be able to afford, but to carry around in our pockets are both amazing instruments and door ways to hell depending on who you ask. All, is not lost! To quote uncle Ben from Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” So goes my thesis. Just because we have the

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

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.

Multitasking is what has made today today. As time has moved on, things become faster and faster, the way we travel, production has increased, and how fast we have to work. There is this misconception that multitasking causes people to lose focus easily, that people who can focus on a mono task is always better in terms of performance. People who want to focus on a single task become more easily distracted and that that’s always a bad thing when completing tasks. Multitasking is usually seen as inferior in the work environment compared to people who can focus on a single task but no one is willing to point out the flaws within monotasking. Multitasking can save not only the multi tasker's time but as well as the people around them, it is seen as damaging to the brain but it also improves the brain in other areas, it may seem like the reason why people can never finish what they need to in a timely manner but sometimes there are benefits to come with that. Within today’s culture people want things done well and done fast, to do that multitasking is a necessary skill.

Multitasking is becoming very significant on the workplace to complete the task in less time. In fact, some people believe that multitasking saves time and can be done at all together. On the other hand, some people think that it is a distracting activity which leads to a lack of concentration. According to David Silverman, “In Defense of Multitasking”, multitasking is “crucial to survival in today’s workplace” (522). However, I do not agree because multitasking reduces productivity, increases stress levels and it is, especially, problematic for students.

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.

Now trust me, that’s not very efficient. In the case of multitasking your brain is like a computer. I know, the same thing that very well causes you to be unproductive does the samething to itself. WHen you begin to run to many programs on your computer it actually slows down and may even crash causing any of the work you may have done to go down the drain. Similarly, by multitasking, you actually make it harder for yourself to stay on task as a part of the brain called the striatum has to burn more oxygenated glucose, causing you to lose focus and be more tired than before. Explain more thoroughly with

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

Multitasking, “shifting focus from one task to another in rapid succession,” everyone does it. Whether it is answering a call while writing an email, texting at a stoplight or talking to someone while checking Snapchat or Facebook, multitasking is a normal part of most people’s everyday lives. Reading “Multitasking Can Make You Lose...Um...Focus” by Alina Tugend has really made me realize how much I multitask. It also made me realize no matter what I think, I am not as good at multitasking as I think I am. I believe that the author made some very convincing arguments against multitasking, how it affects society and how common it is.

Sarah D. Sparks wrote an interesting article in “Education Week,” that shows that multitasking is not an activity that reflects great results for most people. Sparks learned from Larry D. Rosen’s study that 13 to 18 year olds use an average of four to six types of technology simultaneously while they are not in school. Did you know when people multitask they never actually fully focus on anything? For people to do multiple things at once, it actually takes them longer to complete each task than if they did them one at a time. If someone has to make a decision, there will be a delay in their thinking process. In Sarah D. Sparks’ article, she refers to Steven G. Yantis’s research that explained that people who multitask actually perform lower on memory and attention tests than people who did not. This is due to them focusing more on their distractions. The effect of