Theory: We Are Good Multitaskers
Compiled by Lori Gracey | Excutive Director | TCEA.org
Summary of the Belief: Many publications and media sources claim that young people nowadays not only are able to multitask, but also are experts at multitasking. Multitasking is the ability to carry out two or more things that require thinking simultaneously.
Points About the Belief:
- We are tempted to believe that we can multitask because, at some level intuitively, it seems to make sense.
- When people have so much experience in performing a task that it becomes fully automated, we are able to carry out multiple processes.
- The brain has strict constraints about the number of cognitive processes it can process; this is known as the cognitive bottleneck.
Resources:
- Who Multitasks and Why?
- Frequent Multitaskers Are Bad at It
- The High Cost of Multitasking
- Can New Media Teach Children to Multitask?
Your Analysis:
Is the theory:
- Myth
- Unproven
- Based on truth
What This Should Mean to Teachers: