Multitasking

In the article “Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self Control”, by Sarah D. Sparks it discusses the meaninglessness of multitasking. Multitasking during instructional times really hurts your ability to take the information in. Even while you are multitasking your brain really is not multitasking. Using self-control also plays a big part in how well you maintain the information. Teaching multitasking skill is really useless in the long run.

When people are multitasking during instructional times it hurts their ability to process the information. When listening to the instructor then doing another task such as checking your phone, or chatting with the person next to you it only allows you to get the surface information. Doing those things will not allow you to have a deep understanding or being able to dive deeper into the topic. With multitaskers they do worst on memory tests as non multitaskers do better.

People who “multitask” are never really multitasking. “The brain can only be at one place at a time,” says Steven Yantis. When doing more than one task your brain needs to switch back and forth. This makes a slight delay in the brain and can cause someone that multitask a longer time to complete then someone who did each task individually.

Scientist have come up with the new marshmallow test for this century. It had students that received text messages during class, and ending up getting a worst grade than those who did not text. When having enough self-control to not look at your phone until a stopping place your grades will be much better. By using self-control it allows time to process your information and think about it.

Throughout my life I have never ever been good at multitasking. I use to think I was really good at multitasking. I would be listening to music, typing up my homework, and texting friends. I thought it was better to do these things at the same time in order to save time. The only thing was I would only able really to do one task at a time in the end. I would either sing the song I was listening to, ignore everything, and type my paper or just text my friends. I have attention deficit hyperactive disorder, so in according to Dr. Denckla, she said, “Multiple-task interference is greater in children with ADHD; it costs them more. As they have to respond, evaluate, and move along, they have a harder time doing it." I think that I am better off though since in research according to Steven G. Yantis people who do not multitask are better at memory games or pattern recognition. That skill seems more useful in this day in age so I am glad I have it.

At the end of the article Davidson brings up the point that people have to multitask all the time in the world. Sometimes you need to be able to switch from one thing to another fast. I feel that this task is important but if not unable to get good results should just try sticking to one thing at a time.

Works Cited

"Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control." Education Week. N.p., 15 May 2012. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/31multitasking_ep.h31.html?tkn=PTWF