In a multi-media frenetic era, it can become increasingly difficult to focus. I know this from my own studying. While the internet and online journals provide access to a wealth of information, I find I have some days where all I do is download more articles to read or open more tabs, without ever actually stopping to read the information I am accessing. Even when I do read them, I find it hard to concentrate as I am thinking of all the other things I want to read too. The ability to focus is sometimes one that aludes me.
Yet as an educator, I know the importance of teaching children how to prioritise. Children are living in homes where there are televisions in several rooms (including bedrooms), everyone has mobile phones, laptops/ tablets (with gaming) abound and internet (with its social networking) is 24/7. Yet the costs of multi-tasking are great, as research shows. First, tasks take longer to complete. Second, working on several tasks at once causes mental fatigue and third, learning is impaired by multi-tasking, due to reduced processing and storage.
Learning
Yet as an educator, I know the importance of teaching children how to prioritise. Children are living in homes where there are televisions in several rooms (including bedrooms), everyone has mobile phones, laptops/ tablets (with gaming) abound and internet (with its social networking) is 24/7. Yet the costs of multi-tasking are great, as research shows. First, tasks take longer to complete. Second, working on several tasks at once causes mental fatigue and third, learning is impaired by multi-tasking, due to reduced processing and storage.
Learning