Multitasking In An Always-On World By S. Craig Watkins: Article Analysis

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Fast Entertainment and Multitasking in an Always-On World is an insightful article written by S. Craig Watkins. He is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and teaches in the Radio-Television-Film, Sociology, and the Center for African and African American Studies departments. He has also written previous titles, many with the topic of Hip Hop. This article talks about how many people today are always on some kind of electronic device. There are also many times when they are multitasking between devices. Watkins reveals that one study has found that multitasking actually often slows down productivity. Throughout his argument he tends to use a lot of analogies along with a few cases of logos and historical evidence with an informative and persuasive tone. Watkins uses many analogies, logos, and historical evidence to explain how the “Snack Culture” of our society often leads to multitasking between devices and harmful side effects. Watkins ' first point is that our world is filled with digital media that can be obtained nearly instantly. He often compares this fast entertainment to fast food, “Like fast food, fast entertainment is easy to get, all around us, and typically cheap, but not always good for you.”(Watkins 394). Watkins also …show more content…

Multitasking with media happens much more than people think. Watkins uses logos again by citing a Stanford professor as well as a research team who explains how often young people multitask with media. He also gives a first person view on why young people multitask. One college student explains what he does when commercials on the television come on, “In that gap of time, I am normally on instant messenger talking to friends.”(Watkins 398) He also cites a quote from Andrea where she says that she uses the television as background noise with her laptop, allowing continuous communication amoung friends. This part is exceptional at giving real life examples of how people multitask and can often relate to the