Media Multitasking Isn't So Bad
How Media Multitasking Can Benefit Our Students
High Media Users Perform Better when Multitasking
According to a study published to the New York Times, 15% of students (high media users) performed better with multiple forms of media surrounding them. The study determined that since adolescents brains are introduced at an early age to media usage, that task completion with several other distractors is easier due to familiarity. Younger students have developed an "enhanced working memory" due to their exposure to media, which allows them to focus on many different forms of media while completing a task.
Differences Among Learners
Key Findings of Positive Media Multitasking
- Each student and child will be different depending of what level of media multitasker they are. HIGH media multitaskers and Supertaskers will be able to complete tasks quickly and successfully when other forms of media are around them compared to LOW level multitasks.
- Media multitasking will also help the student develop skills that they will need throughout their life as media is growing much more common in our culture. Computers are the "multitasking promotors" for children and adolescences, so introduction to such technology will increase their knowledge of different resources available that could benefit their education.
- Research completed by the government has shown that if an individual is introduced at an early age to media multitasking, their genes will adapt to it.
- Media multitasking allows individuals to comprehend and process many different subjects of material at once and can improve rapid comprehension over time.