Teens and Multitasking It is seen every day; teens everywhere walk around staring intently at their cell phones, their music while trying to focus on an assignment, or watch television when they have a task to complete. People do not realize just how much they multitask in one day. It has become the new norm in the modern world. There has been much debate in recent years over whether or not multitasking is bad for teens. Multitasking can have positive or negative effects; it is the situation that determines if it is beneficial. There are a numerous amount of ways in which multitasking can be harmful to your brain function. Many people believe that if they are doing many things at one time that they are accomplishing more; this, however, is not the case. When you “[d]o two or more things simultaneously, [you] …show more content…
Someone who is multitasking may not get as much done as someone who is focused on just one thing, but they feel good about what they achieved. Doing multiple things at one time negatively influences productivity, but it can enhance your mood and make you feel more accomplished (Taylor). People who frequently multitask are often better at working in situations where they have to work with distractions, or have no other option but to do multiple things at one time. There was a study conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in which 63 volunteers were asked to interpret two different sources of auditory and visual information at the same time. The conclusion of this study was that media-multitasking can have a positive effect on “cognitive skills and multisensory integration”, this meaning that people who frequently multitasked were more efficient at comprehending different sources of information and using two or more senses at one time (Nauert). Multitasking is frowned upon by many, but there are some good things that can come out of
In the future if the brain completely adapts to this quick pace and improves its multitasking efficiency, it could enable people to accomplish tasks at a much faster pace than even today. In conclusion, the human brain has changed very much most likely due to increasing amounts of people who multitask more frequently and due to advancements in technology. There have been many effects caused by these things of which some can be viewed as positive and others may be viewed as negative effects. Regardless of this there is really not much of a way for anybody to know whether multitasking is or isn’t worth it because everybody thinks and functions differently than one
Alina Tugend, author of, “Multitasking Can Make You Lose … Um … Focus,” is an accredited author that is featured in multiple respected publications. This article was published in the New York Times in 2008. The article talks about multitasking and how most people think that is a great thing, but in reality it causes more problems that we know. Mrs. Tugend voices her opinion on how multitasking hurts more people that it helps. Her opinions are clearly voiced throughout this article that she does not think multitasking is a benefit for people.
Nicolas Carr, an author and researcher, insinuates that people who use computers and the internet are becoming more shallow human beings and that this technological tool, despite its advantages that are applauded by many, is harming society as a whole. Carr has discussed these thoughts in his book The Shallows, on television in an interview with Stephen Colbert, and in an article in The Atlantic entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” While Carr believes that the internet has its place and that it has been extremely helpful to him as a researcher and writer, he also believes that the internet encourages multitasking and boosts superficiality. I share these same thoughts with Carr. While the internet has been extremely helpful in producing a more efficient and fast-paced environment, it has at the same time produced challenges and weaknesses in our society, like multitasking and frivolity.
In my references I stumble upon various results of experiments that authors mention in their work and those results stated some of the consequences the brain faces after multitasking. Eric Jaffe (2012) shows how our brains are being rewired when we multitask with technology and how it’s nowadays harder for us to finish one single task in a reasonable time. Another results from the investigations is that very time the brain is forced to multitask it uses a vast amount of his nutrients leaving the person exhausted and with no energy only after a short period of time. My sources reveal that multitasking in general is bad, but when combined with technology it becomes dangerous. It has been scientifically proven that multitasking leaves us stressed,
In the article, “Multitasking Can Make You Lose ... Um ... Focus” the author shows how modern day devices are encouraging people to multitask and the effects of this alternative, “While multitasking may seem to be saving time, psychologists, neuroscientists and others are finding that it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us less efficient” (Tugend 2). As phones, laptops, and the fast-acting Internet continue to allow people to access and process more information and actions at once, people find it more productive to complete multiple tasks at once. This idea was also portrayed in the scientific vacation in which the researchers reflected on how much more relaxed and slower their lives felt, as they could take in and focus more on their surroundings. This multitasking introduces the feeling that people need to move faster throughout their day, moving quickly and using technology to accomplish duties throughout everyday life.
Hovhan refers to the internet as “electronic cocaine” which she uses to support her research and reasoning behind why multitasking causes alterations to neurological productivity pathways. As an internet user and multitasker myself, I felt the need to connect the research of these three sources. Although they all argue that internet multitasking is negative and has hindering implications, they each provide different unique evidence to highlight their claim. Through the culmination of these articles, it becomes clear that internet multitasking not only lowers our productivity, but also hurts our brains on a neurological level. Productivity research that utilizes systematic benchmark tests, is an easier way to measure the consequences of multitasking as brain scans are not needed to show results.
Learning is fun, but it is also hard work. It’s so extraordinarily well documented as to be almost a truism at this point, but multitasking and particularly technology (e.g., cell phones, email) can make the deep concentration needed for real learning difficult or impossible. Set aside dedicated time for learning and minimize interruptions. When you read, find a quiet place, and leave your phone behind. If you’re taking a class or participating in a reading group, take handwritten notes, which improve retention and understanding, and leave laptops, mobiles devices, and other disrupting technologies in your car or bag far out of reach.
Because of the increasing privileges that teenagers in the 2020s are presented with, they can often be used in a negative way. For instance, today teens are given an abundance of technology, such as tv’s and phones. And due to the technological advancements of the 21st century, teens today have significantly more access to technology that can be used for good or bad. ABC News reports that “Teens spend more than 7 hours a day on screens for entertainment”. This is obviously extremely harmful to any human’s mental health, but also affects physical health.
Verna von Pfetten acknowledges in the article “Read This Story Without Distraction (Can You?),” that monotasking has its benefits although the environment has more to do with focusing than one might think. Everyone knows “multitasking” doesn’t actually exist. The brain cannot multitask. Instead, it switches from one task to another, meeting the demands of only one at a time. There is a cost associated with this switch, resulting in brain power being eaten away causing productivity to slip.
Attention has always been a prized commodity. The brain knows it and cognitive psychologists know it, but the average person has yet to fully grasp the concept. Articles on how to multi-task still flag the covers of popular magazines, and distracting cell phones and tablets accompany students to class on the forefront of their desks next their notes. It has been verified time and time again that the mind simply cannot attend to two things simultaneously; one can pay attention to one thing or another, but not to two things at once. People know that neutralizing distractions will yield invaluable minutes of clarity and focus, but for most, the application of such, is nearly impossible.
Multitasking Questions Elizabeth Kooistra Hour 2 The author used research and facts in their work. This makes the information much more believable and people are much more likely to listen to it. The author uses illustrations in their work.
As I was sitting in a chair, I observed many people doing homework, drinking Starbucks, and playing games such as chess, or games on their phones. Many of these people were students, who had homework either on their laptops or their book and notebooks out taking notes. These students were in groups or alone but mostly in
Multitasking makes it difficult to gain any knowledge when a person's attention is in multiple places. Christine has a strong inductive argument that explains
It is does not interfere with student learning because students can divide their time within working and study. The advantage of dual job at the same time is, people can get more income and gain more experience. They also can get more knowledge and get many friend but the advantage is people which do not know how to manage time will get a problem to complete their work. They will be more stress and their productivity will decrease and it will influence to their
In “How does smartphone” (2015), the article explain that the teenager who keep tracking for social media update and message do not get a good sleep at night. Next, the smartphone addiction can affect teenager’s studies. Teenagers who are addicted to smartphone will find themselves hard to focus on their studies. The games on smartphone required them to keep online and playing so that they can clear the stage in those games faster. Some of the teenager even check for social media notification in their class.