Analysis Essay – The Myth of Multitasking
Abstract
This paper aims to explain to the readers what the article titled “The Myth of Multitasking” is all about. All the ethos pertaining to multitasking stated in the article are mentioned here with the corresponding analysis of the writer. The article clearly defines all the downside of multitasking, and presents evidences that could convince the readers about its value. The article is a source of valuable information about multitasking which is not yet known to many people. By reading the thoughts of the writer about this article, the readers would be interested to know how multitasking affect their health and what should be done to limit the effort spent on multitasking.
Analysis Essay - The Myth of Multitasking
Jane Healy, an educational psychologist told the San Francisco Chronicle.
She thinks that kids could engage in “very quick thinking,” but it has a
very shallow sense” (p. 109).
In the article titled “The Myth of Multitasking,” the author, Christine Rosen, emphasized the need for doing one task at a time, rather than doing two or more tasks at the same time. She used the letter that Lord Chesterfield wrote to his son in 1740 as a good example of this principle. In this article, it is said that focusing on something is the work of a genius mind, while engaging on fast-paced movements and agitation are the works of a weak and unstable mind (p. 105). She states further that in these modern times, multitasking has become a way of life for a lot of people especially the teens. This is due to electronic devices that are being used nowadays by many people.
However, the author fails to mention how multitasking can be avoided given the advance technologies that are now flooding the market. She merely cites the bad effects of multitasking in using these gadgets, but she does not recommend any solution to divert from multitasking except for focusing on a single task, which is easier said than done. In the presence of these technologies, multitasking becomes tempting to young people who want to make things faster. In the first place, these electronic inventions were made to cope with the modern times where life has become more complicated. They were designed to simplify everything and make it fast. The internet made communications across the globe a lot easier and faster. It simplified the means of doing business anywhere, and made countries near to each other. Multitasking seems to be favored by many companies because employees tend to produce more than waste their time. They want their employees to accomplish many things within a day. While an employee is using the computer and the phone rings, what is he/she supposed to do? While browsing the emails and someone is texting or calling on the cell phone, the person can do both of them because it’s not really a big deal to do them at the same time. If it’s an important call and the employee wants to focus on it, he/she will surely leave the emails on the computer first. Since people are already used to it, they will always engage in multitasking because they want to finish several tasks in a short period of time even if someone tells them that it’s bad for the heart.
Electronic gadgets are easy to handle and they are not dangerous unlike machines in a factory. The only problem is when people abuse the use of these devices like when driving a car and using the cell phone at the same time which could be fatal (p. 106). It’s just like driving and being drunk at the same time or smoking while driving. Even talking to somebody in the car while driving is considered multitasking, and it only depends on the discipline of the one driving if he/she could not focus on the steering wheel. In these modern times, there are specific grounds for doing things at the same time. It’s not like before when life was simple and many hours were wasted looking at the sky. A lot of people are working for extra money aside from their regular pay to cope with the economic crisis. Isn’t this also multitasking? With regard to health, the author is saying that multitasking leads to rise in blood pressure, loss of short-term memory and causes stress to people (p.107). It’s like saying that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, drinking liquor causes liver disease, and eating junk foods leads to obesity. To all these, multitasking is easier to deal with, but more difficult to avoid. Moreover, many people are not yet fully oriented on the bad effects of multitasking except when a car accident occurs because of texting and driving at the same time. It seems that time is more precious now than before because life was simpler before. Moreover, there are many things that a person can do today while sitting in a park as compared to the 60’s and 70’s. While sitting on a bench, instead of just looking around the park and recalling past memories, a person can use his/her electronic devices like cell phone and iPod, and stay connected while relaxing.
Indeed, multitasking is something that could no longer be avoided by many people. A statement in the article that multitasking should be limited is a great advice, but difficult to follow (p. 106). With small families and in the absence of helpers at home, the tendency of the occupants is to perform multitasking. That means while cooking meals, one has to attend to a telephone call. Another statement in the article that focuses on the human brain states that the brain is not designed to do multitasking. It says that the brain is built to focus (p. 108). This is fine, but it needs proper control especially for children. Parents should not allow them to engage in multitasking by watching the TV and doing their assignments at the same time.
In essence, the facts contained in the article are convincing up to some extent based on evidences. However, it should have discussed something about ways to limit multitasking than just focus on critiquing it and stating the downside of multitasking (p.106).
