Multitasking Essay

When talking about multi-tasking, there are always several detriments available to list. To illustrate this, the author of, “How to Do One Thing at a Time” cites classical examples of harmful multi-tasking activities such as using the phone while driving or chatting with a friend while writing an e-mail. To reinforce his point of view, the author links his claim to the opinion of scientists that affirm that, because of cognitive limits in our brain, doing tasks simultaneously often ends up with mediocre results. However, as society forces us to deal with several different responsibilities in a short period of time, multi-tasking can be an efficient way to relax while also finishing minor chores faster.

Pop-up ads are constantly on every link, along with flashy signs and music to keep us from concentrating on the task. This ultimately leads to multitasking. We assume that we can handle all the information thrown at us together, but in reality it is too much. An experiment done by Thomas Buser and Noemi Petter involved three groups. The first group consisted of participants who worked on two tasks consecutively for twelve minutes each. The second group had to alter between these two tasks every four minutes for the same amount of time. Subjects in group three were not notified of how many switches were going to occur and for how long. The three group’s total time spent on each task was equal to prevent any lurking variables. The results of this experiment showed work schedules can be an important factor in productivity. The results emphasized that participants who focused on one task at a time, had a higher productivity rate than the subjects that tried to multitask. Machines can run several applications at one time while keeping one hundred percent concentration on each, precisely because it is a machine, people simply cannot. Carr agress that the internet has almost taken control over people. He says, “The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s becoming our map and

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.

The increasing usage of information and communication technology throughout the years has undeniably had an enormous impact on the ways in which college students can maintain contact with other individuals and provided them with instant access to live data at any time. Information and communication technology (ICT) is an umbrella term referring to communication devices or applications such as laptops, cell phones, and networks. As well as serving as a helpful tool, ICT has also provided a great deal of opportunity for distractive behaviors such as multi-tasking during time otherwise dedicated to class, schoolwork, and studying.

Mr. Rick concludes that “Although the present findings [don’t] demonstrate a cause-effect relationship, the finding suggest that media multitasking may positively influence certain cognitive abilities including multisensory integration.” Although it can awaken certain senses, it only really works effectively on about 5% the population (Weimer). I feel that if a student or employee is multitasking all the time and nothing is learned it shows that multitasking can be damaging. And Although

Alina Tugend states that “[v]irtually all of us spend part of most of our day either rapidly switching from one task to another or juggling two or more things at the same time” (714). While Tugend’s proclamation stands true, millennials have actually adapted to multitask more quickly than others. A study done by University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School actually found that “millennials switch their attention between media platforms like laptops, smartphones, tablets and television 27 times per hour on average – as compared to only 17 times for previous generations” (Miller). Multitasking is not anything new to society but millennials’ well-versed experience with technology allows them to multitask better than previous generations.

What distracts you and what do you do to ward off the distractions to remain productive?

The first reason multitasking has positive effects because it can help you prepare for future jobs that you have to multitask in. Some jobs that you have to multitask in are secratary,any city official such as mayor,and teacher. If you multitask then if you get a job in which you have to multitask you will

The article “Positives from Multitasking” published by Psych Central News states the following, “The new study by graduate student Kevin Lui and Alan Wang, Ph.D., from The Chinese University of Hong Kong shows that individuals who frequently use different types of media at the same time appear to be better at integrating information from multiple senses- sound and sight, for instance.” Thus, we can conclude that using technology for more than one thing while studying can be beneficial. A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that sixty-five percent of the time when students are studying in front of their computers, they're doing something else. Kids and teens are already used to using technology while studying. Seventeen year old Megan Casady of SIlver Spring texts, checks the weather, calls someone, volunteers for campus cleanup, and checks Facebook, all while doing her AP biology homework. So a teen can successfully multitask with technology. And although Megan’s parents worry about her, it’s “hard to argue with a teenager who boasts a 3.85 unweighted grade-point average.” So despite multitasking frequently, a student can still do

Multitasking does not have any advantages. It causes stress, creates poor quality work, and it takes up more time. Everyone multitasks even though they do not know it. Multitasking is actually switching between tasks really fast, not doing two things at once. Chewing gum and walking can be considered multitasking.

This article investigates the correlation between media multitasking and the differences of working memory and long-term memory in heavy media multitaskers and low media multitaskers. The data was collected from one hundred forty three participants ranging in ages from 18-35. The study was conducted from the Stanford University community. The researchers of this study explore the possibilities of multitasking in relation to working and long-term memory. The results showed that there were four significant findings. A limitation of this study was that the correlation of student academic outcome and media multitasking was used only by a correlation design study. Although, this design suggests that a relationship exist between two variables, the study cannot prove that one variable had a negative or positive effect change in another variable.

Cell phones have taken a different meaning to the term multitasking. We now have the ability to conduct phone conversations anywhere in the world with our businesses, friends, and family. This can be done while at work, on vacation, or either in the pleasure of our own homes. By having cell phones, it has allowed us to do different assignments and conduct other tasks all in a timely

Many scientists dispel the idea that multitasking is in fact an efficient way of getting things done. For example, in a study conducted by Clapp, Rubens, Sabbharwal, and Gazzaley (2011) concluded that, “multiple tasks increase task difficulty/complexity, resource capacity limitations, increased crosstalk conflict, and greater bottleneck-processing limitations.” This shows that there is a plethora of research done to prove the ineffectiveness of multitasking. Yet research done in 2013 by Shih reveals, “behavioural and brain research suggests that multitasking is challenging and often stressful and unproductive. However, most multitasking research observes participants conducting two cognitive tasks that do not involve media per se (except that tasks are often computerised)” This reveals that most multitasking occurs with the use computers or technology however, many test subjects and experiments lack that certain

Multitasking has been taught in different approaches over the years. Some people have an idea that multitasking is a poor method of working. You might find it more backbreaking if you are doing everything at once, while others assume “If you are doing everything at the same time, then you will get the work done faster. For example, I can’t do my work if I’m listening to music or television, it takes my concentration away from my work and I get more into the music or television and I find it really time consuming. On the other hand people enjoy listening to other sounds while working because of different reasons. People say that listening to sounds relaxes their muscles making them less tense. Multitasking has it’s pros and cons. I’m not saying that multitasking is not

Townsend et al. (2013) give credence to the population supposition that EB does not lead to significant gains in productivity. Current literature recognises that there are two avenues through which EB might generate greater productivity: the first avenue suggests that, through the process of EB, inefficient work and management practices can be directly addressed and removed from the workplace (Wooden, 2001; Loundes, Tseng & Wooden, 2003). Furthermore, EB