Multitasking is a talent many Boston University students claim to master. But in reality, some students and faculty say this “skill” is nothing more than a glorified distraction.
Modern students faces a dizzying array of technological distractions, including email, instant messaging, blogs and networking websites, such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com
But despite the recent explosion of internet time-wasters, sociology professor Laurel Smith-Doerr said computers have diverted attention for more than a decade.
“College student ownership of computers has not increased much since the late 1990s,” she said. “Almost everyone had a PC by then, but hours of usage seems to have risen on average.”
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences freshman Liz Martin said she is no stranger to internet distractions.
“I know at least 10 girls that have Facebook as their homepage,” she said.
Even the traditional distraction of television consumes many students’ time, Sargent junior Julie Chan said.
“Watching TV while doing my homework can be distracting, depending on what I’m watching,” she said. “If I’m watching Lost, that’s one thing, but I could also just have Food Network on in the background.”
Some students, including Sargent junior Lauren Priest, said the level of distraction varies on the type of homework and how much concentration is required.
“Homework that doesn’t require thinking might tempt me to have a TV on,” she said.
Other students said they recognized the negative aspects of technological multitasking.
“I am more productive when nothing is on,” College of Engineering junior Kevin Chui said.
Chui said it boils down to a matter of personality.
“Fighting the distraction depends more on the discipline per person than the technology available,” he said.
And while technology can help students get things done faster, “studies by sociologists like Barry Wellman have shown that computers do not replace social contact so much as supplement it, for example, people using email to arrange a meeting,” Smith-Doerr said.