A Literature Review on: Technology and Multi-Tasking
Abstract
The idea of technology has come a long way and has been brought to people’s lives unexpectedly. Cellphones, laptops, tablets, televisions, gaming systems, music players, etc. have been coming into the world and introduced with new improvements and advancements. These new technology devices have brought some benefits and some consequences to everyone. The educational field and drivers have been influenced by such devices. These technology devices can be distracting that it takes a person’s focus off of something. The idea of multi-tasking can be challenging to some because a person can only do so much without losing focus. There are a variety of situations that may occur and be encountered while using technology devices. Introduction: The subject of technology and multi-tasking is a constant topic that people come across almost every day. Technology is also being used in classrooms from preschool through college. There are many people throughout the world who go about their day multi-tasking or trying to, while focusing on something. There have been many accidents and many improvements that have come along with the advancements of technology. People have many different views on whether technology and multi-tasking is good or bad or even both. A reason for this is because technology interferes with everyday life, whether it is good or bad. Technology has benefitted some since advancing throughout the years, but it has also brought consequences. The settings that will be focused on is classrooms and out in the streets while driving. In both of these situations there is some good and some bad that comes along with using technology while trying to focus on something else. To have a better understanding and more detailed response the following questions were asked and will be answered: Question 1: What are the effects of texting or talking while trying to focus on something else? Question 2: What are the consequences and benefits of using technology in the classrooms? Question 3: What is the public’s opinion on technology devices? Question 4: What are the current state/city law policies regarding texting and talking while driving? How can they be improved? The literature review paper will provide information about what others think about technology and multi-tasking. It will show their views on how it is good and how it has caused problems. The settings will have situations that affect lives, but there can be ways to improve them or help. Question 1: What are the effects of texting or talking while trying to focus on something else? A lot of research and studies have been made to help show us what multi-tasking can lead up to, whether it is good or bad. A study was made in a university setting to see the impact that technology has while trying to focus on a classroom lecture. Texting with a cellphone, e-mailing, msn messaging, and Facebook were being used, while three control groups were only using paper and pencil to take notes. This went on for three consecutive lectures and to find out that those who did not use any off-task technology outperformed those who did (Jan. 2012, Vol. 58 Issue 1, p 365-374, 10p). Students get distracted easily by technology devices when they are so easy to access, especially when the devices are put right in front of you. I conducted an interview with a teacher face to face to answer questions on technology in the classrooms. A problem with technology that has been encountered by Jesus Licon is that he said, “I had several problems, old hardware and software can hamper the learning environment” (personal communication, March 7, 2013). It shows that teachers have difficulties with keeping up with new advancements in their classrooms, while trying to teach their students also. There are brain scientists who believe that “technology overload can affect the brain’s ability to store information” (Dave Cappender, Jan 2011). The brain is very important because it is where information is stored and where we retrieve it from. “People think that they can switch back and forth between tasks every few minutes, or even every few seconds, without consequences. But research shows us that it takes the brain time to get reoriented” (Folk, Jan 2010, 4p). A person can sacrifice some degree of quality for quantity, which is sometimes not the way to go. So, when a person is trying to do more than one thing at a time it can get confusing. When there is constant exposure to technology devices there is no chance for the brain to rest. The brain can only take so much and when a person does way more than what it can handle, it tends to cause problems. A problem would be that the brain will only be able to focus on one thing for a short period of time, when it can be longer. Technology devices are now being used in classes more than ever, whether it is to a person’s advantage or disadvantage. |
Question 2: What are the consequences and benefits of using
technology in the classrooms? Technology has come a long way in the educational field. It has caused some bad and good to both teachers and students. Some of the consequences would be teachers being replaced with technology. There would be many cuts in the educational staff, which would mean fewer teachers to teach more students. Michael Horn (the cofounder and executive director of Innosight Institute’s education practice) stated, “It’s not only about how do you bring teachers into these roles so it is not disruptive into their livelihood, but how you bring about these roles to ensure it brings about a better education system” (Horn, 2012, 4p). He believes in blended learning which is a mixture of face-to-face and online lectures to help teach students. Having only online courses is not ideal, face to face teaching is required in order to succeed and have a better understanding of the information being provided. “Teachers do not want to feel like if they are competing with an online option, instead they want to be contributing to the online courses and be facilitators in them” (Yohey, 2012). Another consequence would be students’ grades dropping because of the distraction that comes with using technology in the classrooms. Jesus Licon, a teacher for 29 years stated “I use a rubric method, where students have knowledge of what is expected for a particular assignment. So, I believe that technology can help with a student’s grade” (personal communication, March 7, 2013). The rubric method is a chart where it lists certain expectations that a student must meet in order to receive a grade. A benefit would be “enabling improvements to make teachers more focused and efficient” (Horn, Dec, 2012). Keeping teachers up to date on the latest technology and demonstrating on how to use them correctly can help speed up the learning process. Technology can be a positive thing because it helps students look up information within seconds by just surfing the internet. There are now apps that can help students learn faster and in a different way than back in the days. Education systems have now taken a step into using technology devices to help educate the students. There are not only computers in a class for each student to access, but there are also online courses that can be taken to get a grade in. Many programs are being used such as: Blackboard, Miner Writer, and Pearson. The education system is expanding to new ideas to help keep up with the advances in technology. Juan Bustillos said, “One of the benefits is technology can save a lot of time such as: on assignments, readings, papers, research, and deadlines” (personal communication, March 6, 2013). Tasks can be time consuming, so with technology the amount of time spent on something can now be done quickly and precisely. There is a large amount of time that people spend on using their devices. David Brooks (2001) stated that“people have time to do everything except think… Multitasking, checking your e-mail, operating at peak RPMs; you've become addicted to wireless life—and it has a cost” (p. 71). People are now more reliable to their devices in their everyday life to do almost everything. “The average American teenager owns three to four electronic gadgets…” (Dave Cappender, Jan 2011). This shows that teenagers are using their devices more than ever now to either benefit them or just simply be a distraction to them. Teacher Jesus Licon said, “Yes, students do waste their time searching the web. A teacher with no set plans using technology in their subject matters. I also believe that using a word processor would benefit students other than using paper and pencil format” (personal communication, March 7, 2013). Using a word processor is less time consuming and students get way more done with it. With paper and pencil mistakes are made and it takes up time to go back and fix, other than just pressing the “backspace” or “delete” button. He also included this, “Depending on the teacher’s lesson plans; a precise set of plans to motivate students would help students focus on their work.” A teacher needs to have a clear lesson plan as to what the student is assigned to do as opposed to a teacher who is sidetracked. A problem with a confused teacher is that students will end up losing focus and just go to their technology devices for entertainment. The public has their own opinions on how technology has helped and how it’s caused problems. Question 3: What is the public’s opinion on technology devices? This question has a variety of responses due to how people view technology. There are those who believe it is being taken advantage of and those who do not believe so. Technology can overwhelm some of the older generations and that is a reason why they choose to do things “the old-fashioned way”. Camille Noe Pagan said, “multi-tasking is really an act of procrastination” (Jan 2010). A major study is done to see how multi-tasking is wired to a teen’s brain. An average child usually spends an average of eleven hours on different technology devices (Snyderman, 2011). Ann Karish, a mother who interviewed by NBC News stated, “You don’t know if it’s work, if it’s play, if it’s chatting…” (April 2011). Technology devices such as laptops, cellphones, tablets, and televisions have been shown to be on during homework time, which is distracting. |
This shows that parents these days cannot tell the difference of whether their child is actually doing their homework or off focus and doing something else. Dr. Jay Guidd (Neuroscientist) looks into teen’s brains to test their distractibility. A surprising result was that “…multi-tasking might be making their mind stronger and serves as a cross training exercise for the brain” (Snyderman, 2011). Teens are a generation with “…plasticity that allows them to get better with multi-tasking, but to a point” (Guidd, 2011). Younger generations are more susceptible to doing many things at once as those to an older generation because teens have never known the world without internet. With older generations it can be harder because technology was not as advanced back then and there weren’t many distractions to take their focus off of a task. Juan Bustillos, an EPCC teacher responded to this question by stating, “In my opinion an example of misusing or taking advantage of technology would be hacking”(personal communication, March 6, 2013). Hacking is gaining unauthorized access to a computer system. It can also be misused by using someone else’s work that is online as your own, which is plagiarizing. Using the internet to do an assignment for you can get a person in trouble with the school. Juan Bustillos said, “There have been issues where teachers think twice about whether to use any kind of technology in the classroom because of this” (personal communication, March 6, 2013). Plagiarizing is an example that shows why some teachers are opposed to using the internet for assignments in their classrooms. Overuse of technology devices can lead to problems such as sleep deprivation. Jesus Licon confessed, “I’ve lost sleep because of trying to finish my lesson plans on the computer, while also being online” (personal communication, March 7, 2013). Technology devices are unavoidable whether a person likes it or not, the world is advancing because of it.
Question 4: What are the current state/city law policies regarding texting and talking while driving? How can they be improved? There are those people who text while driving and there are those who put their phone away when they do so. People say that laws against texting and driving are unenforceable, so should it lead to banning? Radley Balko (senior editor for Reason magazine; former policy analyst on civil liberties issues for the Cato Institute) said, “I will argue that we need to get over the idea that we can solve every bad habit with a new law” (Vol. 1 Issue 38, p.16 p1). The article says that since 1995 there has been an increase in cellphone subscribers in the U.S. and the number of minutes spent. “Overall reported accidents since 1997 have dropped, too, from 6.7 million to 6 million” (Radley Balko, 2009). Accidents are seen as not being the cause of texting and driving. The state of Maryland passed a texting ban, but allows reading texts. “Though several states have passed bans, all make exceptions for hands-free devices. But we know the level of impairment of drivers using hands-free devices essentially the same as that of drivers holding a phone. These laws aren't about safety; they're about symbolism” (Radley Balko, 2009). The author is against any banning because he believes that doing so will not make the streets safer, so why go through with it. Texting and driving has caused many accidents that sometimes can lead to injuries or even death. “In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and almost 450,000 were injured in accidents that reportedly involved distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” (Grzeskowiak, Sept 2011). These statistics show people that being distracted while driving is a problem and can cause harm. Other ways that technology devices have caused accidents would be: messing with the radio, music too loud, talking, reading, checking the GPS, and even watching television while driving. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute, there are 10 states that have banned talking on a cellphone while driving (1996-2013). The states include: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia. Conclusion: In conclusion there were many ways that technology devices affected people’s lives while trying to multi-task. Teachers and students came across some consequences and benefits while using technology devices in the classrooms. There were many different opinions that others had on what they believe technology has done for them. Texting while driving has some consequences, but there are now some state/city policies that are being used to help improve some of the issues. Overall multi-tasking is challenging to the human brain and can sometimes benefit and can also cause problems. What is important would be to keep focus on one thing so it can be done correctly and thought out thoroughly instead of doing many things at once and doing it all wrong. |