Learning and the Multitasking Generation

By Will Meek, Ph.D.
July 26, 2006

AP had a story Monday about how being distracted can lower the quality of learned information. They discuss how watching TV while you study is a bad idea. This topic is becomming more widely discussed with the emergence of the “multitasking generation”. Many folks are concerned that kids are growing up in a fast paced technological society where they are simultaneously listening to music, watching TV, writing email, chatting online, talking on a cell phone, and studying for the biology exam. The piece that is often overlooked (granted the aforementioned article does not delve into this territory) is that new skills are acquired through this process. The ability to attend to multiple sources of information simultaneously and cognitive switch between tasks effortlessly is a desireable skill. It also reminds me of the negative reaction folks have to kids being involved in more structured activities.

To me, the bottom line is that with every change in child culture some elements are lost as other are gained. Many parents become uncomfortable when things change in terms of experiences their children have that are different from those they had growing up. The instant reaction is that these differences are the nail in the coffin of childhood innocence and that there will be serious problems with entire generations of children growing up in the new conditions. Fortunately, the one constant and key to raising healthy, well-adjusted future adults is attentive, warm, and consistent parenting, which can transcend time, culture, and the latest technological fad.