Journal 1, August 30th

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10317186-1.html?tag=mncol

This article describes an experiment preformed by researchers at Stanford University to determine the effects of multitasking on the human brain. According to the article, the study took a group of people who often multitask and a group that did not and put them through a series of tests to determine the differences between them. In the study the participants were put through three simple tests to assess their memory, ability to focus, and skill switching between tasks. In all three tests the people who did not usually multitask outperformed the ones who commonly did. The study showed that those who multitask regularly show a decreased ability to focus, have a harder time remembering, and even are inferior at switching in between tasks. At the time the article was written the researchers were still trying to determine whether the traits of multitaskers were learned or were present at birth. The article then demonstrates that in a world full of technology it is hard to find someone who does not multitask.

With the ability to communicate instantly with texting or social networking, listen to music, and stream video all simultaneously it is almost impossible to imagine living without multitasking. Unfortunately, according the study done by Stanford and other research, multitaskers are only harming themselves. In “The Myth of Multitasking” Christine Rosen, senior editor of The New Atlantis argues that humans are actually incapable of true multitasking because we are only able to focus on one task at a time. Unlike modern computers that are designed to be able to perform parallel processing the human brain can only pay attention to one item. Since humans are only able to perform a single task at a time a shift of attention must occur, when switching from one task to another. It is in this shift that any benefits of multitasking are lost and in the long run productivity is in fact harmed. With the rise of the internet and other technology meant to share information our ability to perform multiple jobs seemingly at the same time has rapidly increased, changing the way society operates. In actuality though not knowing our limits as humans may ultimately weaken our ability to complete what needs to be done even with all the opportunities offered by current technology.