The class blog for Media & Society, Section 3, Spring 2013, at SUNY New Paltz
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Marshmallows and Multitasking?
A very interesting study that says students' school work suffers when they try to multitask, especially when they engage with multiple gadgets...thoughts?
When doing homework such as essay writing, all distractions should be eliminated. The constant checking of Facebook may last for a minute of so, but eventually the user will lose track of time and be on Facebook for 10, 20, 30 minutes. I know that for myself, I do not feel the need to constantly check my phone for texts or see the latest posts on my news feed. And because of this lifestyle, one without reliance on social media technology, I have found myself more productive than other kids I know. It is sad to see kids who cannot focus on something as simple as a professor talking, or a presentation in class. I have had classes where I sit the back, and I can see half the kids in the class on their phone or laptop looking at Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr instead of focusing on class. We pay money to go to school and learn. If your top priority is snapchat, Facebook statuses, or tweets, you are in the wrong place.
I feel that this study is very true, because sometimes I even find myself trying to multitask with other things such as Facebook or YouTube. Going onto these other sites while class is in session or when I am trying to study really makes the task at hand much more difficult. Getting work done is nearly impossible when one starts to procrastinate on other sites. Along with Louis, i have also seen kids waste their entire class time just sitting on Facebook waiting for something to happen instead of taking the time to take notes and listen to what is going on in class. I think that students would be much better off if they were not allowed to use their devices at any point during the class time. It may seem unfair to the students because it is their class time and they are paying for it, but if they are paying a school's tuition to sit on social networking sites then they need to reevaluate why they are going to school in the first place.
I agree with this study. Even now I'm supposed to be writing a paper, yet I'm on the blog and watching television. It's like Louis said, it starts out in small intervals, but these small intervals quickly accumulate. Earlier in the day I was studying for a test and decided to take a break. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I had just spent 15 minutes on Facebook. I also see kids on their phones all the time in class just scrolling aimlessly. I for one don't do this because I don't have a smartphone; I don't know if I could say the same otherwise. I don't get why people not only pay for these classes but PICK these classes, so shouldn't they want to pay attention.
I think that this study is very accurate. I know many people, including myself, that find it hard to completely focus on solely their homework or writing as essay for an extended period of time. I think facebook and cell phones are a complete distraction that take the focus away from the more important things. Especially in the classroom when students are on their computers, a lot of the time I will see them on websites that have nothing to do with what is going on in the classroom. Although, personally when doing homework I enjoy having either music playing or maybe television on in the background. But, at the same time, my brain is multitasking while that is happening which will lead me to not fully have my concentration on what I am working on. All of the social medias and other distractions are taking away from schooling because people are spending their time on things that in the long run really do not matter.
We are in the age of multitasking. Is that a good thing? ....NO! We are overstimulated and under focused. I find that I'm rarely doing just one thing. But, whenever I do sit-down and limit myself to one thing the quality is exponentially better. This truth needs to be applied to school. I find its very difficult to absorb information and actually benefit from it if your mind is in 100 other places.
When doing homework such as essay writing, all distractions should be eliminated. The constant checking of Facebook may last for a minute of so, but eventually the user will lose track of time and be on Facebook for 10, 20, 30 minutes. I know that for myself, I do not feel the need to constantly check my phone for texts or see the latest posts on my news feed. And because of this lifestyle, one without reliance on social media technology, I have found myself more productive than other kids I know. It is sad to see kids who cannot focus on something as simple as a professor talking, or a presentation in class. I have had classes where I sit the back, and I can see half the kids in the class on their phone or laptop looking at Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr instead of focusing on class. We pay money to go to school and learn. If your top priority is snapchat, Facebook statuses, or tweets, you are in the wrong place.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this study is very true, because sometimes I even find myself trying to multitask with other things such as Facebook or YouTube. Going onto these other sites while class is in session or when I am trying to study really makes the task at hand much more difficult. Getting work done is nearly impossible when one starts to procrastinate on other sites. Along with Louis, i have also seen kids waste their entire class time just sitting on Facebook waiting for something to happen instead of taking the time to take notes and listen to what is going on in class. I think that students would be much better off if they were not allowed to use their devices at any point during the class time. It may seem unfair to the students because it is their class time and they are paying for it, but if they are paying a school's tuition to sit on social networking sites then they need to reevaluate why they are going to school in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this study. Even now I'm supposed to be writing a paper, yet I'm on the blog and watching television. It's like Louis said, it starts out in small intervals, but these small intervals quickly accumulate. Earlier in the day I was studying for a test and decided to take a break. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I had just spent 15 minutes on Facebook. I also see kids on their phones all the time in class just scrolling aimlessly. I for one don't do this because I don't have a smartphone; I don't know if I could say the same otherwise. I don't get why people not only pay for these classes but PICK these classes, so shouldn't they want to pay attention.
ReplyDeleteI think that this study is very accurate. I know many people, including myself, that find it hard to completely focus on solely their homework or writing as essay for an extended period of time. I think facebook and cell phones are a complete distraction that take the focus away from the more important things. Especially in the classroom when students are on their computers, a lot of the time I will see them on websites that have nothing to do with what is going on in the classroom. Although, personally when doing homework I enjoy having either music playing or maybe television on in the background. But, at the same time, my brain is multitasking while that is happening which will lead me to not fully have my concentration on what I am working on. All of the social medias and other distractions are taking away from schooling because people are spending their time on things that in the long run really do not matter.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the age of multitasking. Is that a good thing? ....NO! We are overstimulated and under focused. I find that I'm rarely doing just one thing. But, whenever I do sit-down and limit myself to one thing the quality is exponentially better. This truth needs to be applied to school. I find its very difficult to absorb information and actually benefit from it if your mind is in 100 other places.
ReplyDelete