Saturday, May 7, 2011

Multitasking: Way of the Future?

As the final post for this semester's class, I thought I'd look towards the future and how our culture is currently being constructed. In William Klemm's article "Will Multi-tasking Make You a Scatterbrain?" from Psychology Today, he examines the effects of multi-tasking on today's youth.
Klemm mentions the Interference Theory of Learning, which is essentially the memory of initial learning events can be blocked, and thus not fully learned, when attempting to learn two things at once. While I agree with this theory in that learning new information, whether it be physical/tangible or cognitive learning, I don't believe that multi-tasking is inherently harmful. For example: I am a multitasker (almost seems like I'm admitting I'm an alcoholic at an AA meeting- doesn't that imply some interesting connotations of multi-tasking in our current society), however, I don't sit at my desk and read a book while writing an email all the while texting my friends. If I'm attempting to learn something new, I know that I have to concentrate on that new task. Multi-tasking is reserved for when I'm not necessarily learning any new information but merely doing work that does not require my complete attention: writing emails, surfing the internet, researching online. I'm not learning calculus, I'm doing things that have become second nature to me.
Klemm cites two different studies which examined the learning ability when multi-tasking. Both studies showed that when attempting to learn a new skill, multi-tasking actually hurt their performance. That's understandable, when trying to learn (emphasis on "learn") you need to focus. However, Klemm negates to examine how multi-tasking affects the ability of performing habitual tasks.
The only concern that Klemm proposes, which I also have, is the possible deleterious effect on ability to focus, sustain attention, and think in the long run. Studies need to be conducted to examine the effects of multi-tasking in regards to mental stability and health. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that there is a strong correlation between the rise in multi-tasking and the rise in ADHD diagnoses. But that will have to be addressed by someone else at another time.

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