Multitasking Research Paper

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 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.

To begin with, multitasking creates a great deal of stress and pressure for the individual. When someone is bombarded with many tasks it becomes overwhelming to try to handle them all at one time. Tugend explains that doing routine tasks are easy to multitask, but once more “cognitive thinking” is used it becomes impossible to be able to focus on both at once. Attempting to can easily cause

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

In “Constant Contact Is Bad for Your Health” by David E Meyer is a down and dirty article that specifies just how unhealthy multi-tasking can be for you. His warnings are dire and should be listened to, though nobody likes a harbinger. According to the author, “Excessive multitasking can lead to chronic stress, with potential damage to the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. Fatal accidents are more likely too. …. There is also an increased chance that people, especially the young, may not develop the ability to concentrate on important tasks for long periods of time, or may lose that ability for lack of practice.” (David E. Meyer 1) He is definitely not cheerful, but that’s because it is serious

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

While students feel they are great at multitasking, studies show that they actually perform academically at a lower level than those who do not multitask. A study was conducted by a respected research lab in Stanford University. Clifford Nass, a professor of communications at Stanford University, introduces us to a study conducted on carefully-selected high chronic students who multitask (Digital Nation). The experiment was structured for students to identify numbers as odd or even, letters as vowels or consonants. Professor Nass wanted to test how quickly these students can switch tasks without losing focus. The results showed that people who multitask are slower than those who do not multitask. While slower does not mean horrible, it should raise a sign that if they had focused on their work only they would get better scores in their respective studies. Sherry Turkle, in an interview, displayed the differences between two common multitasking activities: taking a break from your studies to stretch and surfing the web. Turkle says: “When you get up and stretch and take a walk around the block, you can stay with your problem. You can clear your mind; you can move your body. You can stay

Findings regarding multitasking seems to be a lot of talk in Psychology. Theme four says that humans are responsible limited agents and we have agency, meaning the ability to act as agents in the world. This involves the ability to chose, but it is limited. This relates to multitasking. Multitasking is the practice of doing multiple things at the same time (SGWN pg 135). Theme four can relate to multitasking because having agency implies not only we make choices but also that we can change ourselves in some way. Theme four is relating to multitasking and saying that we have the choice to multitask and do multiple things at one time even though there are limitations on how much we are able to change since we exist in a particular time and place.

In my own experience about multitasking, I am actually enrolled as a student for a full credit so every day when got back home I have to do my homework and to do others house’s stuff that are required to be done by me like put trash outside and I have to do with my sisters some of their homework, usually I do with them their math homework, so it is not easy to be at the same time doing your homework and for another person especially if you did not use to do it. but doing it every day I realise when you start to do one thing and you keep doing it everyday you can become a multitasking on that thing because more you practise in doing things at the same time everyday you will be good with the process of switching

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.

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.

Through extensive research we are now able to see that multitasking is not an effective learning method, but is a bad thing to do.

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.