Summary of Multitasking Helpful or Harmful?

Nowadays, many people tend to multitask their work, especially those who have a hustle
culture where everything has to be done in quick time. They think multitasking will be more
efficient because you are doing two works at the same time, but is it entirely true?

Multitasking is not a new phenomenon. Without we recognize, mothers already become

multitaskers before it takes account as the imagination business world, and students already
become multitaskers because they handwrote classnote while listening to class lecturer.

Futhemore, multitasking can occur in three ways. First, a person may work on two tasks or
more simultaneouely, such as reading a case while watching television. Second, a person may
switch between task repeatedly, such as alternating between answering e-mails and listening
to the discussion during a class. Third, a person may complete two or more tasks in rapid
succession, such as scanning a case, the Westlaw headnotes, and a class script right before
class rather than reading the case previously. Long stroy short, muslti tasking devides your
attention.

Over the last several years, media attention on multitasking has increased as researchers have
questioned its benefits. Alot of articles on the topic have appeared in Time, the New York
Times, and The Guardian to name a few print sources. CNN and ABC are among television
networks that have run sturies on the subject. Even Allstate commercials now focus on the
dangers of multitasking.

According to the research during multitasking, there are two processing stages. First, there is
goal shifting in which the brain decides to do a new task instead of the original task. Second,
there is rule activation in which the brain turns off the rules associated with the original task
and turns on the rules associated with the second task.

Unfortunaley many studies that found multitasking causes inefficiency in brain function.
Think of students who lack of attention in class while answering e-mails causes them to miss
professor’s announcement of a changein the reading assignment. At wors, multitasking may
be deadly. The most common example in the media is the morist who neglects to make a split
second decisionnto avoidan accident because he was talking on a mobile phone.

For law schools, the topic of multitasking is usually raised regarding laptop in the classsroom.
Many professors compliant that they do not feel connected from their students due to their
students divided their focus, because mostly students focus on two main areas: students
blindly transcribing verbatim class notes, students using laptops inappropriately (e-mails,
instant messages, web surfing, playing games). The other students complaints focus mainly
on the distractions to learning caused by clasmates’ inappropriate behavior.

To cover this problem some professors make rule in the class which students do not allow to
use laptop during in the class, in contarst some students feel that there easier and fairer
solutions to the problem than outright bans on laptop for all students, because they found
difficulty of taking handwritten notes when a professor is disorganized or has a teaching style
very different from student’s learning style.

Both professors and students tend to agree that laptop multitasking that distract other students
should be dminished. Mechanism short of an ourtight ban on laptops are possible. These
solutions may include, for instance, the use of privacy screens, reserving back-row seats for
unrestricted laptop use, or reserving several rows near the front for those who get distracted
by laptops.

Try to multitask in less distarcting ways. Multitask with a repetitive, undemanding secondary
task will not distract you from focusing on your primary task. In this way, you are not
switching repeatedly between tasks but doing on the requires no concentration at the same
time as one that does. For example, listent to instrumental music rather than than music with
lyrics while you read for a class.

In addition, recognize the stress of multitasking and take action to minimize its impact.
Research shows that today’s technology can lead to information overload, a feeling of being
bombarded 24/7, and pressure to respond instantly to unimportant interruption from e-mail,
phone calls, or other technology. Try to following to minimize distractions:

1. Do not feel pressured to respond every e-mail, text, call immediately;

2. Allow your phone to go to voice mail and return phone calls during scheduled times
each day;
3. Set aside a technology-free day each week or each day during certain hours.

Multitasking has several downsides. However, not all multitasking is equally disruptive.
Every human being has multitasked. This trick is to be selective in multitasking and only do
so when your focus on the primary task is not more improtant.
Number New Vocabs Definition Phonetic Symbol
1 Prerequisite a thing that is required as a prior /prēˈrekwəzət/
condition for something else to
happen or exist.
2 Omnipresent widely or constantly encountered; /ˌämnəˈpreznt/
common or widespread
3 Occur happen; take place. /əˈkər/
4 Advent the arrival of a notable person, /ˈadˌvent/
thing, or event.
5 Prior existing or coming before in time, /ˈprī(ə)r/
order, or importance.
6 Shifting changing, especially unpredictably. /ˈSHiftiNG/
7 Neglects fail to care for properly /nəˈɡlekt/
8 Downtime a time of reduced activity or /ˈdounˌtīm/
inactivity.
9 Cautiois (of a person) careful to avoid /ˈkôSHəs/
potential problems or dangers.
10 Ameliorate make (something bad or /əˈmēlyəˌrāt/
unsatisfactory) better.
11 Verbatim in exactly the same words as were /vərˈbādəm/
used originally.
12 Extensively in a way that covers or affects a /ikˈstensəvlē/
large area.
13 Detrimental damaging the detrimental effects of \ ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl \
pollution
14 Outright 1. altogether; completely. 2. /ˈoutrīt/
immediately.