Multiscreening and Me

tvBusinessWeek magazine had an article recently about people who surf the Internet while watching television at the same time.  About one out of every ten TV watchers are simultaneously (at the same time) looking at their computers, trying to do two things at the same time.  Multiscreening (watching more than one screen at a time) is just one part of a more general trend of people multitasking (doing more than one thing at once).  Some people think that with all of the new technology now available to us, people are multitasking now more than ever.  I admit that I “multiscreen” probably about once a week, especially if it is a TV show that isn’t too demanding (doesn’t require a lot of concentration), such as a reality show or a sports game.

Many psychologists think that multitasking is a bad idea, however, since we are not able to fully concentrate on two things at once, and so do both things badly.  But I suppose that with tasks such as TV watching and web surfing, it doesn’t matter too much if we aren’t concentrating very hard – especially if you are reading my blog posts while watching The Simpsons, for example.

~Jeff

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16 Responses to Multiscreening and Me

  1. emiliano says:

    No way Jeff, if I am reading your blog I don´t do anything more.
    Just at that moment it is the most important thing to do an I haven´t mind to do anything more.

    I have to confess that if I am listening to the lessons, as I do it at frecuently at mornings, very often I am doing house keeping like making the bed, washing the glases or the china and also cooking dinner. So I am always in good company listening interesting and funny subjects.

    Being with Lucy and Jeff my task is always light.

  2. Julio says:

    I am frequently multiscreening by watching television and browsing on the internet and even listening to ESL podcasts in my electronic device, all of them together. I have to admit I am quite a bit a maniac by attempting to do several things at the same time. I think it is also a new sign of the current times, because I know many people who are affected as well. Will it be an infectious virus? Will it be contagious?
    I don’t know the answer, but if I think about it calmly, it is perhaps a very stupid behaviour.
    But I can´t help but doing it on!
    Thank very much, Jeff.
    Best regards from Spain,
    Julio (Jack).

  3. Peter says:

    Dear Jeff,

    Multitasking is not limited to just watching TV, it affects all aspects of every day’s activities. In fact ,it has become a routine way of dealing with life in a daily basis such as being on the phone while driving or wolfing down breakfast while having one eye on the paper and another on the Morning news.The pace of life does not leave today’s modernized time-deprived human with much of a choice my friend.

    No doubt that it is a horrible idea to begin with since ,as psychologists believe, multitasking requires a divided focus that results in poor outcomes.

    This is the way it is.I mean , there is no way around it . If you have found a way out of it,please usher me as well.

    Thanks Jeff interesting piece. You know the rule “Novelty always wears off.” You break the rule because your noble programme never gets old.

  4. Bruce Lee says:

    As many companies have required employees to do a lot of work with limited time,
    It becomes commonplace for people to multitask in their workplace.
    People have frequently been evaluated highly well when they make better performance with more than two tasks.
    It seems like that we can’t avoid being familiar with it.

    So let’s take a look at what we have to care about it.
    It gives people higher pressure that makes bad effects on your brain & health.
    So we have to take a rest so that your brain can be refreshing.

    I mentioned why there exists multitasking & how to deal with it effectively.

  5. Peter says:

    everday activities

  6. Peter says:

    As a matter of fact , You and Lucy’s postings require 100 percent focus because there is more to them that meet the eyes,referring to not only new terms, but also your constructive sentence structures and punctuation.

    Believe you me,As far as the English language goes, punctuation is a killer.

  7. Peter says:

    Than meet the guys ;sorry for the typo

  8. Peter says:

    than meet the eye

    Terribly sorry ,just imaging what multitasking does to me.

  9. elcomandant says:

    I would like to be able to read your blog post and to do another thing simultaneously. This would mean that I would know very well the English language.

    But, I’m afraid that I need to be with my five senses to be able to understand what you write.

    To be honest, I’m understanding better and better, but it isn’t enough.

  10. gregorex says:

    As I’m using my laptop for browsing the Internet and watching TV at the same time, therefore probably I should call it multiwindowing 😉
    Usually there is more then 5 windows opened at the same time, Windows Mail to check e-mails, Firefox to check and read new podcast, FlashGet to download podcast, Winamp to listen podcast, Windows Media Center to watch The The Simpsons (really), and few another tabs in Firefox to open some social web pages as Facebook etc, Skype and others communicators for chating. Am I in control of the computer or that devil machine is controlling me.
    OK I have to go, The Simpsons are calling 😉

  11. emiliano says:

    The way that Buddhism understand life is just enjoy every single moment and every single thing you are doing just that second of your existence.
    Nothing more exist, no future, no past only this moment.
    If you drink a tea take the best of the moment, enjoy it, see the cup, drink slowly, taste it carefully, live the moment completly. If you listen to a friend that is the real subject and the best thing to do, nothing more exist in that moment of your life.
    That way of living give them the best of every single subject, enjoying every thing they do and always relax and peace in the mind.

    I would like to be and to live that way, but it is not so easy as we need to grasp so many thing simultaneously that at the end
    we have nothing.
    But I have this way of thinking in my mind and like to stop, relax, enjoy a single thing as much as possible not thinking or doing anything more.
    Yesterday night I was writing a letter to a good friend and nothing more was real, when I see the time it was 2.35 a.m. but I
    didn´t care. I have a wonderful time. Yes last night I did as a buddisht., this morning I get up at 8 but I was happy remembering
    all what I did and the good time I have.
    Regards.

  12. kebe says:

    Hi Jeff,
    Seems like you are watching me. All this topic is about me. I like to surf ESL blog and to watch a sitcom at the same time. But reading has bigger priority. Multitasking is a way to relax our brain a little after stressfull and hard working day. You are doing something but at the same time your brain isn’t working so hard as it could.

  13. Bakhtyar says:

    I what i tend to is to do things at a time, try to save you eye energy, if you do it once i blue moon-no problem-it is true that those kind of machine require as to run and organize or schedule, but if we do if frequently- donot think you have best of both worlds- instead you are beating about the bush, and you can’t take benefit that you want.what i do in my daily life at Ministry of Human Rights- Kurdistan Rigional Government-Iraq. i have been saving alot of pod casts in our calibre web site-www.eslpod.com and bbc, and in my leisure time i listen to them, to improve my listening skill and vocabulary, also i do some reading in boring books like , International Relations and International Human Rights, cos those topics are helpful to broaden my knowledge in my career both as Human Rights Observer and International Relations specialist.

  14. Meg says:

    I read your blog for the first time. I’m not good at reading English though I can understand these sentences easily. I like difficult words explained by simple words.
    I watch English news program for long hours. I often watch same news in the same day. I believe watching english news programs make my english listening skill better. But I become tired when I watched for long hours. So I often keep TV on and surf internet. And when I found a new information in the news program, I stop surfing internet and watch TV again.

  15. Dipodidae says:

    I didn’t write along time, but now I have some reasons to do it. At first about multiscreening. I’m not good in it, but as we know Julius Caesar was profi in multitasking;) It’s not for all people. Maybe genius can do some jobs in the same time. I thinking that multiscreening for not so important deals such browsing and watch TV(as for me, I haven’t tv at all. It’s religions). Let’s focus on English!) and we’ll get more advantage and pleasure.

    I have a offer, make a few podcasts with more dynamic music for lestning at the moning. I give up high speed for live from early moning and more positive music would be suitable. I like present music a lot! It’s familiar for most of us) And maybe at the end of podcast place some “free” songs and public text of it? There are songs with public license in the Internet.

    I’m full of impatience 500th podcast! =) I hope we and your get pleasure surprises.

  16. Hamude says:

    Actually i am not a multitasking person and i lost always the concentration when i do tow task at the same time. for example i can not keep my concentration hearing and understanding the esl podcast while i read the news from the CNN. I have read one article for couple of months ago, which said the female are more able to be multitasking than the male.. Does anybody know why??

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