Multi-Tasking and New Media

Bottle of water by my side, two carrots to my side, and a pear within

arm's length. Let's get some work done. Feet

up, shoulders relaxed, my wrists rest firmly on

the edge of my laptop. I log in to my email,

and I empty the junk mail. Email one--I

address the issue, and I send a short response.

Done. I think "well, I should probably charge

my Ipod since I'll be working for the next

couple hours." I get up, grab the ipod, the

cable, sit back down, put my feet back up, and I take care of the next

email. I think "wait, I think my friend said he'd text me about meeting up

for my presentation, I better grab my phone." So I get up, grab the

phone and with each e-mail I check, I find myself logging into an

additional site or answering a text message. This goes on for the next

two hours.

How much work do we actually get done with so many distractions? How many social networking sites do we manage daily? How about email accounts? How many times do we find ourselves fiddling with our "Crackberries" (Blackberry devices)? We have fifteen minutes committed to current events and online news each morning. Another fifteen for language review. But are we focusing?

Patricia Greensfield, a distinguished psychology professor of UCLA reports via Science Daily, that with an ever-increasing amount of technology at our disposal, our critical thinking and analysis skills have declined.

But is it all bad?

Not necessarily, according to Dr. Greensfield's research. Although she admits that reading is steadily in decline as a common activity amongst the younger generations, the capacity amongst users of new technologies to process the meanings of visual stimuli is enhanced through the use of new technologies.

Also, her studies suggest that although there are many downfalls to multi-tasking (such as decline in mental capacities to think critically), the exposure to so many technologies may develop valuable skills for certain professions. Pilots need to effectively monitor various gauges and environmental conditions, for example. She provides another example relating to laparoscopic surgeons and their use of particular video-oriented tools.

So, sure we are distracted easily unless we shut off everything everytime we log onto our laptops. Is that a good thing? Well, in the field of academia, perhaps not. But maybe yes if we want to become pilots or laparoscopic surgeons!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128092341.htm