So you think you can Multi-task?
My views on multi-tasking have changed within the past year, thanks to taking Improving Listening Skills at UCM. A lot of individuals say they multi-task well, but this may or may not be the case. Even though I know few people who can listen to conversations, text, and watch a television show all at the same time, I believe the majority of individuals cannot multi-task effectively. I think part of listening or observing information also includes retaining the information. Having different sources pulling at an individual’s attention at the same time makes that retention difficult. Even more, the internal noise that can result from any of these sources makes another source to contend with.
An example of attempting to multi-task is when you are sitting in a classroom and listening to the professor for an hour. You are taking notes over the material, but you do not completely engage in the lesson. You may be thinking about what you are going to do this weekend or why your phone just vibrated. Even if only for a brief moment, you are not focused on the professor and do not know what was just stated. Another example is when you are reading a book as you watch a television program. Though you read the passage, you are not entirely sure why a character is now petting a cat, but you have noticed your favorite actress is now endorsing a product you use. As for the topic of checking social media while on the job, it would depend on how you were checking it and what your job entails. Pulling up social media on your phone or computer as you are supposed to be doing something specific, it is unlikely that you are focusing on the task you should be paying attention to for your job. If you have a more laid back position that has a lot of downtime, checking social media is not a problem if you are still able to switch back efficiently.
I believe that like many other things, multi-tasking is a skill. You can test yourself and see if you retain information from several sources, continually bettering this ability. Keeping up a conversation as you make breakfast or reading a text as you watch TV are easier tasks than making a to-do list over the phone as you are preparing dinner. I do not believe multi-tasking is impossible, but I do believe that a lot of individuals are not doing it properly.