Multitasking in a Digital World: The Ramifications for Students
Background - Multitasking
Technology has permeated society rapidly over the last thirty years or so. Computers that used to be the size of a large room now fit in a pocket. Music no longer comes on records, tapes or CDs, but can be downloaded in a minute or less onto a device and listened to across a variety of devices. Telephones do not merely make and receive calls anymore; they are now considered smart because they can access the Internet, keep its user on a schedule, text and make and receive calls. Along with this influx of easily accessible technology has been an increase in the need to always be connected. Older adults, generally, do not crave the constant need to be connected to the world, but today’s youth is another story all-together. Today’s teens have latched onto technology and multitasking with what seems like feral ferocity. Rebecca Hill (2010) writes that seventy-six percent of teens own iPods, cell phone ownership increased twenty-seven percent in six years and 76.6 percent of households with three to seventeen year olds have Internet access, and also states, “Gadgets are an inherent part of our society now, so entrenched that we cannot imagine life without them.” (p. 33) The need to feel constantly connected has created a society that must multitask to stay connected and complete work.
According to Rekart (2011):
“a typical high school student routinely media multitasks while studying….today’s students aren’t focused solely on assigned pages of reading or completing an assignment, but are jumping back and forth from homework to Facebook—updating both their own status…and checking on updates from others—to a phone call to a text message”.(p. 60)
Jill Adams (2012) describes the multitasking habits of teens saying that eighty-two percent of teens are online by the seventh grade and that although it seems as though people who multitask save time, multitasking actually can lead to a decline in the quality of work (n.p.). An NPR radio program, Science Friday (2010), interviewed Professor Clifford Nass from Stanford University who explained that in order to multitask, a person needs to be able to:
1. filter out unimportant stimuli
2. manage short term memory well
3. rapidly switch tasks well (n.p.)
Multitasking is more than just listening to music while doing homework though.
Gasser and Palfrey (2009) explain that there are two types of multitasking behavior, parallel processing and task-switching (p. 17). Parallel processing is what happens when two things are done at exactly the same time and task-switching is switching from one task to another rapidly (Gasser & Palfrey, 2009, p.17). Talking and chopping vegetables is an example of parallel processing whereas updating a Facebook status, reading a book and responding to a text message is an example of task-switching. Multitasking might not seem like an ineffective use of time, and parallel processing can actually increase productivity when paired with a routine activity, but in reality, task-switching costs time instead because it bogs down the brain (Gasser & Palfrey, 2009, p.17). Rebecca Hill (2010) discusses the economic cost of multitasking in the workplace saying, “studies have shown that technological interruptions in the workplace can take up to…twenty-eight percent of a person’s day.” (p. 33). Almost a third of a person’s day is lost due to multitasking. That is an astounding number that adds up over the course of a work week and eventually a year making for an unproductive worker in the long run. Sarah D. Sparks (2012) states, “Not only can people not process two tasks simultaneously, but it also takes longer to multitask than it would to do the individual tasks one after another” (p. 13). She also notes that the part of the brain that makes decisions, the prefrontal cortex, ends up with what she calls a “bottleneck” because the brain cannot do more than one thing at a time (Sparks, 2012, p. 13).
The brain. It is a vital organ that is still somewhat of a mystery to scientists and psychologists. In many ways, it is like a computer, a very slow computer by today’s standards because it has the capacity to process only 126 bits per second (Gasser & Palfrey, 2009, p. 15). In comparison, Lance Ulanoff (2014, June 23) explains that the world’s fastest computer has a processor that operates “at 33.86 petaflops (quadrillions of calculations per second)”. Given the limitations of the brain, multitasking asks more of the brain than is available for use and at this point in time, there isn't the ability to add RAM to a human brain as might be done to a computer. This obviously has a great impact on students who are trying to learn and multitask at the same time. As Rekart (2011) explains, “the impairing effect of multitasking upon learning may be related to reduced brain resources that are available to satisfactorily complete tasks when they’re tied together.” (p. 61) In other words, the brain can only handle so much and when a student asks the brain to learn new material, answer a text, and listen to music at the same time, it is going to cause the bottleneck in the prefrontal cortex to which Sparks referred. With that said, what does this mean for students now and in the future? Multitasking is not going to magically disappear; it is here to stay, so finding ways of coping with it is imperative. However, not everyone agrees on the best course of action for handling multitasking.
Current Debate - Coping with Multitasking in the Classroom
Most researchers firmly state that multitasking is detrimental to learning, but are unable to provide sound research on the long term effects of multitasking due to the recent nature of the technology boom. Many researchers worry that “time spent multitasking may be affecting how students pay attention in general” (Rekert, 2011, p. 61). Jerome L. Rekert (2011) notes that study results “suggest that lifestyle choices may be changing how an entire generation attends to information.” (p. 61) The debate lies, not in whether multitasking is positive or negative, but in how to handle multitasking in education so students can become college and career ready, as the Common Core Standards dictate.
On the one hand, solutions to the issue of multitasking include adding assessments to classes to check for understanding, “limiting the items in the classroom that may distract student attention,” and introduce new things periodically during the lesson (Rekert, 2011, p. 62-63). This suggests a need for removing extra stimuli, unnecessary posters and screens for example, and creating an environment in the classroom that students can relate to which would include a fast paced multi-modal lesson environment.
This point of view limits students in that they will be unprepared for the multitasking world that awaits them in their future careers. Suppressing multitasking, in the long run, will only lead to people who are unprepared and unable to multitask effectively. The multi-modal lesson is a weak attempt at keeping up with the multitasking mind of the student and while an interesting and fast-paced environment, is not as rich an experience as one that incorporates and combines various technologies and collaboration.
On the other hand, multitasking should be embraced by educators and students should be taught the skills necessary to multitask effectively. For example, Hill (2010), a public librarian, believes that students need to develop skills on how and when multitasking is effective, in school and at an early age (p. 34). While many schools block social networking sites, Hill sees it as an opportunity to teach kids how to effectively, ethically and appropriately use these technologies, but also says, “…Libraries and schools must work together to comprehend the challenges of the multitasking teen population…” (Hill, 2010, p. 35) It will be necessary for students to use technology effectively in their future careers so requiring students to remove the technology they will need is actually more detrimental than multitasking itself.
This point of view realizes the detriment removing multitasking can have and explains that education on effective use of multitasking and social media is more beneficial. Sarah D. Sparks (2012) also believes education on multitasking is the key, “Students should learn metacognitive skills to help them understand when and how to switch their attention between multiple tasks or technologies.” (p. 13) She goes on to explain that with the push for collaboration, a key design consideration of the New York Common Core Standards, “working collaboratively with other students requires intense multitasking…involving negotiating, debating and explaining while juggling data and class assignments, often via multiple media…” (Sparks, 2012, p. 13) Therefore multitasking should not be discarded or ignored.
Potential Ramifications for 21st Century Learners
The Common Core Standards ask students to think critically and dig deeper for meaning and understanding in order to prepare them for college or the workplace. Multitasking is the antithesis of these requirements because students are so busy flitting from one activity to another that they lose the ability to remain focused and attentive on one activity for a lengthy amount of time, thus causing an inability to think deeper and critically about a subject. Adams (2012) describes the multitasking generation as GenM and says, “educators must…help their students slow down and think critically about the things they read and write.” (n.p.)
Gasser and Palfrey (2009) assert that a curriculum in multitasking is necessary and should be a part of media literacy program in schools (p. 18). The curriculum suggested would consist of four sessions in which students:
1. discuss their multitasking experiences,
2. learn about recent research in multitasking, including the different types of multitasking,
3. are given practical advice that should help them focus their attention on the subject at hand and improve multitasking,
4. share strategies such as chunking that will help them deal with information overload and “give students the opportunity to experience a contemplative environment without distraction” (Gasser & Palfrey, 2009, 18).
Other ideas for embracing multitasking instead of disregarding it are:
1. Taking advantage of virtual reality sites such as Second Life.
2. According to Jill Adams (2012), one teacher incorporated this technology into a Lord of the Flies unit by requiring students to have conversations with other students using vocabulary from the book (n.p.)
3. Adams (2012) also discusses the importance of having conversations with students about online academic conversations, “Students should have a sense of the caliber of writing expected of them…” (n.p.)
4. Using blogs, wikis and Google apps provide an opportunity for collaboration and effective multitasking. Google Drive, for example, has a chat feature and sharing capabilities built in to encourage collaboration and multitasking.
Provided educators embrace technology and multitasking, even if it may be difficult, student will blossom and become effective multitasks instead of wasting valuable time skipping through various stimuli. Students with the proper education on multitasking can become effective time managers and complete work in an effective manner. If educators do not embrace multitasking and how students cope with the increasing amount on information, students will be lost and barely able to keep their heads above water in the ocean of information that is everyone’s life.
Conclusion
Technology is not going away and neither is multitasking so it is best to embrace multitasking as best as possible and provide ways for students to do it effectively. Rebecca Hill (2010) sums it up perfectly, “…multitasking is here permanently despite our fears about it, the key is to actively teach kids…how to strategically multitask.” (p. 34) Current pedagogy needs to reflect this change in society with teachers and administrators finding ways to help students multitask effectively so they are able to think critically, analyze and synthesize larger amounts of information, which will allow them to live up to the expectations of the Common Core Standards. Multitasking is a skill and must be honed and practiced in order to do it effectively. Gasser and Palfrey (2009) put it best in the article “Mastering Multitasking” when they wrote:
Educators can help students gain control of their learning in the digital age not by trying to prevent them from multitasking, but rather by engaging them in intentional conversations about its promises and limits—and by structuring environments in which young people can see the costs and benefits for themselves. (p. 19)
Seeing the costs and benefits is one large step toward showing students that just because they can multitask, doesn’t mean they are good at it or that they always should multitask. Without proper education, the ramifications of multitasking can be detrimental to student’s future careers and that would mean a huge shift in society as a result.
Works Cited
Adams, J. (2012). “Make Learning Matter for the Multitasking Generation”. Middle School Journal, 43(3), 6-12. Retrieved from
“Does Multitasking Lead to a More Productive Brain? (2010)”. Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio. Retrieved from
Gasser, U., & Palfrey, J. (2009). “Mastering Multitasking”. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 14-19.
Hill, R. (2010). “The World of Multitasking Teens: How Library Programming is Changing to Meet These Needs”. Young Adult Library Services, 8(4), 33-36. Retrieved from
New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. (2012, October 26). EngageNY. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from
standards-for-english-language-arts-and-literacy
Rekart, J. L. (2011). “Taking on Multitasking”. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 60-63.
Sparks, S. D. (2012). “New Research on Multitasking Points to Role of Self-Control”. (Cover story). Education Week, 31(31), 1-13.
