Multitasking Research Paper

Most teens, and even adults, use their cellphones while they drive. They think a quick text or call won’t hurt while they are at a red light. They call it multitasking, and think that since they have a hand on the wheel they are fine. In the articles “How The Brain Reacts” by Marcel Just and Tim Keller, and “The Science Behind Distracted Driving” by KUTV, Austin they describe how the mind is working in the cellphone situation.

"Distracted driving is not only texting, it can be a combination of many things. Anytime you take your focus off the road you are considered a distracted driver"(Teddi Dineley). "Each time you take your focus off the road, just for a second, you’re putting your life and the lives of others in danger" (Teddi Dineley). As stated in the article, “Distracted Driving: Stay Focused When on the Road,” written by Teddi Dineley Johnson, driving a car is a very complex task.

Cell phones have been proven to be a distraction to people young and old but mostly in teenagers. Driving while distracted is a factor in at least 25% of all car accidents (Nationwide). Teenagers and adults alike believe that they can multitask and text while driving. It is easily possible for your eyes to slip off the road. Therefore, instead of your eyes locking in on your phone they should be locked on watching your speed, the road, and the traffic. At the same time, while

In 2009 1.56 trillion text messages were sent and although we can’t find out how many of those were typed or received in a car, we would say most of them were. The NSC says texting is involved in at least 100,000 crashes per year. Twenty one percent of car crashes, 1.2 million, involve talking on the phone even with hands free devices. Distracted driving in 2009 led to half a million injured and 5,500 killed, says the Department of Transportation. These facts led to the conclusion that the brain can not perform two tasks at once. It switches quickly between the two, the switch happens so fast that you believe you are multitasking and paying attention but you really are just missing chunks of important information.

As mentioned, distracted driving is a rising epidemic caused by the rapid growth of smartphone addiction caused by social media. While operating a smartphone, drivers are physically & cognitively distracted. Multitasking is in impossible because the brain can only fixate on so much. Undeniably, young adults and teens are more likely to handle their phone without reservation while they are driving, creating a high risk for the effects of distraction. Despite the convenience of hands-free devices, it is not a solution and is a serious distraction that causes a delay in reaction time, consequently putting these and other drivers at risk for a crash.

Multitasking is a common technique used by most people that is thought to be a way of getting tasks done quicker. With the need for speed in today’s society there is more that has to be done in a minimal time. But what people do not realize is that when they cram their work into a limited amount of time, it can backfire altogether. Within this paper will be an explanation of the negative side effects that may come with multitasking such as stress, physical health problems, and frequently making mistakes.

Texting and many other forms of distracted driving such as eating, answering calls, and listening to loud music can be detrimental to how you drive. Of all these texting is arguably the most dangerous. Those who feel it 's not dangerous to text and drive think they are able to multi-task good enough behind the wheel to be able to text.  Well, this is

We are so used to our phones that we think we are capable of driving while using them. According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use while driving leads to 6.1 million car crashes each year, in which 500,000 cause injuries and 6,000 cause fatalities. People may think they can multitask while driving but really it is impossible. Drivers on the road know it is dangerous and unsafe but they do it anyways. Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous distractions while driving. Nobody wants to miss anything that is happening on their phones. People want them in their hands at all times because we feed off social media.

Nowadays, it is a common occurrence to see people messaging from their cellular devices in the midst of driving. Many drivers, across the globe, engage in the practice without contemplating about the potential detrimental effects of their actions. Notably, researches have depicted that texting while driving is one of the major causes of road accidents. As a matter of fact, accidents caused due to messaging while driving has superseded those, which are instigated by drunk drivers. Drivers are inclined to the belief that they can send some messages without negatively impacting on their driving abilities. However, studies have revealed that drivers are not as capable of multi-tasking as they believe they are. Researchers have discovered that drivers who text while driving look at the road 400 times less compared to those who do not message. After all the research it shows that texting and driving increases the risks of accidents and could even be deadly. Texting and Driving is a widespread problem that is killing Americans across the country. Nearly everyone agrees that texting and driving is dangerous. Most people do it anyway. Texting and driving falls under a category of safety risks called distracted driving. Distracted driving covers any non-driving act that keeps drivers from safely operating their vehicles. Texting and driving is particularly hazardous because it takes the driver’s attention away from driving more frequently and for longer periods of time. Texting and

I loved these articles because they give me scientific proof on why I do not do my chores. The next time my mom yells at me for not doing my chores I will show her the scientific proof, which will probably get me in more trouble, but it’s worth a try. These articles were very surprising for me because I did not expect people to document things like how teencagers are lazy and are risk takers. Parents these days, especially mine, think that I simply choose to be lazy but that is not true at all. According to the articles, teens cannot multitask because of cognitive limitations. The part of the brain that is responsible for multitasking continues to until late adolescence. Finally, something I can show to my parents on why I am so lazy and I am not choosing to disobey them. I am just not fully developed yet and cannot multitask until I am older.

In this sense, as in the real world, multitasking took on a life of its own and it was detrimental to the desired results. The following research studies have attempted to correlate multitasking and cell phone usage, by operating a motor vehicle and texting, and how this possibly slows the reaction time, which could endanger lives. Recent research by Michigan State University stated that the use of mobile devices while performing other tasks, such as driving a vehicle, reduces memory and the use of spatial skills required, and as a result changes the abilities to perform daily functions (Alzahabi & Becker, 2013). This suggests that while our brains are able to adapt to varied stimuli, such as texting while driving, they are not capable of the actual performance of more than one task at a time.

We all have that friend or family member who rarely picks up their phone or returns a text. These are the people you probably don’t have to worry about on the road; however, most of us have a great sense of urgency overall during the day with places to go, so much to do, and often an overwhelming amount of communication interrupting our activities. This can lead to multi-tasking in the car while we are away from the office of home, even with all many warnings regarding the dangers of texting while behind the wheel. Over 1,000 people are hurt and 8 people killed each day because of distracted driving.

Studies conducted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that using a cell phone while driving significantly impairs a driver’s reaction time and triples the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash, and text messaging increases crash risk by a multiple of 8 for all ages (NHTSA, 2009). Situational awareness is significantly decreased while engaging in distracted driving, and in turn inattention blindness is increased drastically creating a potentially deadly situation on the roads. A driver who is multitasking has less brain function available and thus literally fails to see or pay attention to things that are squarely in the field of vision (Texting and Driving, 2010). On the other hand there are those that may be able to multitask successfully though the challenge is

Some drivers say: “I can drive fine while texting”, “it is not big issue and it only takes seconds”, “I’m really good at it, it does not affect my driving at all “and it is totally foolish way of thinking. And that’s the problem, all of us feel capable as we think we are especially when it comes to multi tasking well with two attention demanding tasks.

Multitasking refers to the ability to handle more than one task simultaneously. A popular example of multitasking is answering a call or text message while driving, which has been identified as a major cause of road accidents. While some scholars argue that multitasking results in time saving, others contend that multitasking causes an undivided attention, thereby resulting in a waste of time. It, however, is worth noting that some tasks require less brain-power than others do; therefore, the products of multitasking may vary according to the amount of brain-power the tasks require. For example, chewing while walking, which most people are good at, is an example of multitasking. Nevertheless, both activities require less brain-power.