Research Sources: Media-Related Multitasking

 

For project two, I am exploring four common places on campus where students utilize media and/or electronic devices in addition to attempting another task.

It interests me because; I feel that for the first time in my life I am fully exposed to a large majority of students utilizing media as a form of multitasking.  My high school environment didn’t allow the use of computers in class, or headphones.  My friends usually didn’t use these things during study hall because we were so focused on accomplishing our tasks. Today I am on campus of 55,000 people and many questions relating to multitasking are surfacing.  It’s a strange situation for me, not only do I have to navigate through large crowds on my bike, but I have to maneuver around people who are walking/biking/skateboarding AND listening to music.  I’ve seen many kids wipe out on skateboards or run into bikers because of their inattention. I've seen kids tryign to do hoemwork with music and 4 different tabs running on Google Chrome.  Most college kids listen to music while exercising.  And eating lunch is usually accompanied by listening to music, or checking social networking sites.  

I am really starting to wonder if using media while trying to do something else, is an appropriate use of multitasking. 

           Criteria I will use:

·         The use of media--either one or more--while trying to accomplish a primary task

·         The primary tasks could either include the human body in a form of transit, relating to homeostasis, done while exercising, or cognitive processes.

·         Is the full attention partially compromised during this bout of ‘multitasking?’

·         How it interferes with others on the ASU campus; and if it interferes at all

·         If multitasking is generally a good thing, or a bad thing.

Sources I will use:

Amy Jarmon, “Multitasking:  Is it Helpful or Harmful?” Student Lawyer.  4pages. I found this to be most helpful on the topic of students using music and social networking.  She explains a lot of ways ‘why’ students do this. It would apply to my ‘motive’ criteria. 

Fenella Saunders, “Multitasking to Distraction.” American Scientist.  622 words.  This is a study that includes the heightened distraction levels students experience while multitasking.  Fenella shows that abilities can fall short when the student is switching between multiple tasks while trying to work on one thing. 

William O. Lesitaokana, “An Exploratory Study of Youth and their Use of MP3 Devices in Mass Transit Spaces in Boston.” NmediaC:  The Journal of New Media and Culture. About 25 paragraphs.  This contains field study information that will be important to my annotations on students who use media in transit.  It also lists reasons for why students use media:  personal identity, social status, youth experiences with/without MP3 devices, user behavior and how it affects the people around them. 

Craig S. Watkins, “Young and the Digital : What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future.”  Print. 271 pages. This explores the general ‘instant gratification’ that a lot of students seek out in the form of multitasking. This would help my annotations on eating, and studying.  

 David Barney; Anita Gust; Gary Liguori “College Students' Usage of Personal Music Players (PMP) during Exercise.” ICHPER-SD Journal of Research. 4 pages. This is an article specializing on the use of music during exercise.  It explains motive and also has statistics that affect performance.  I would use this in my annotation of exercise.