Writer’s Blog 2
Multitasking something that I have never been good at. I always get distracted, or end up forgetting about one task along the way. After this weeks discussion I have come to realize that I was never actually multitasking at all
Multitasking is just moving between multiple tasks. You are never fully “multitasking” but rather switching your attention between different tasks. A new term I learned from readings this week was “dual tasking.” This is what we are actually doing when we think we are being good multitaskers.
Dual tasking is performing two tasks simultaneously. An example of this that many people do often is listening to music or watching a show while doing homework. Another example of this that I do quite often is watching a TV show or movie while being on my phone at the same time. In doing these things we still focus more of our attention to one thing. If I am playing music while studying, I am more focused on what I am studying. Or on the flip side, I lose my focus and get distracted by the music I am listening to. As I am on my phone while watching a new show, I am focused on the tik tok I am watching. We tend to use these “dual tasking” examples as background noise in our lives. We use music or shows as a background to the actual task we are doing.
Why is this though? Why do some people focus better on one task while having another “task” occurring in the background? In improving our ways of dual tasking, we actually improve our abilities in both tasks we are focusing on. Using dual tasking helps us to improve our memory and attention. Many of my peers find that using dual tasking helps them in many situations. I think dual tasking is most efficient when one thing is prioritized. In using a background task, I believe we focus better and work more efficiently on our main task at hand.
While this method of dual tasking works well for many people, some feel the opposite. Many people cannot focus on their homework or what they are studying if there is something playing in the background such as music or a show. There are people who prefer complete silence in order to focus on their own thoughts and what they are doing. I personally fall somewhere in the middle. I love to use background noise in situations such as watching TV, working out, or cleaning. When I use background noise for dual tasking in situations where I need to focus more, such as studying or doing homework, I tend to lose my train of thought and get distracted.
Our minds all differ from one to another and each one functions differently. Some methods simply work for some and not others. So, why does dual tasking only work for certain people? How can one focus better while having their attention elsewhere? Are we actually multitasking? What do you think?
