Multitasking is an insidious word. It's really part of an alien conspiricy.

The term multi-tasking is frequently bandied about in education. Most educators use the term in place of the more accurate phrase I-have-tons-to-handle-so-please-don't-add-more-to-my-plate; or, something to that effect. Adults can say they're multi-tasking and in large part be faithful to that statement because we have a great deal of experience in our respective areas of instruction and have years of experience juggling varied tasks. It also helps that our brains are, ehem, up to the task. (Then again, the task of speaking on a phone and driving a car at the same time is an example of multitasking that we're coming to understand is far from easy or safe.)

So, why is multitasking insidious? It's because the concept of multitasking has crept unchecked into the vocabualry of adolescents. Adolescents are not nearly as capable of stating they are multitasking and living up to it. How can this be? We see their desktops connected with all sorts of wonderful gadgets like phones, MP3 players, laptops, DVDs, and portable storage devices. Many children can make these things sing with one another in a manner that implies mastery of all things electronic. Don't be fooled. Yes, they can impress, but they cannot mulitask. At least, they cannot multitask well.

I found this statement in an article at LiveScience.com: "The part of the brain responsible for multitasking continues to develop until late adolescence, with cells making connections even after some children are old enough to drive." The article goes on to support the idea that young minds do not have the ability to prioritize and organize varied tasks as an adult would. Multitasking is beyond students in their early teen and even late teen years.

I'm sure most parents with teenagers knew this already on some level. Teenagers are wacky for lack of a better word. It's as if your kids were replaced with spot-on clones from some alien world with the grand plan of driving you nuts. I jest, but their version of an organized binder, closet, or room is far different from ours; and they honestly believe they're organized. One day I'm going to polygraph one of my boys just to prove it. 

So, next time you pop into Johnny's room and see the TV on, the iPod in one ear, and the twelve windows open on the laptop, only one of which appears to be homework, don't believe it when Johnny says, "It's okay mom. I'm multitasking." Johnny isn't multi-tasking, he's doing multiple things poorly. It's all part of the nefarious plan the aliens, who have temporairly replaced your little cherub with a food stuffing, late sleeping, know-it-all, are trying to maintain right under your nose using the guise of "multitasking".

Know that your teen has limitations when it comes to the thinking demands of home and school; and that placing one thing at a time before them is the best way to ensure success.

If you'd like to read the orginal article on the topic, which does a far better job of explaining why teens don't multitaks well, select the link which follows: http://www.livescience.com/health/050517_teen_thought.html