Analysis

I've been given the task of conducting an essay that provides an analysis of the article "Multitasking Can Make You Lose...Um...Focus," by Alina Tugend. In this essay I will provide a short summary, and an analysis by using purpose, order, ideas, and style to develop my paper.

In the article "Multitasking Can Make You Lose...Um...Focus," the author, Alina Tugend, begins by suggesting to the reader that multi-tasking is ineffective. The author develops her thesis by explaining to the reader how multitasking has become a necessity for the people in this society. To prove this theory, Tugend provides the reader with her opinion, as well as detailed explanations from several people on the subject. The author also enlightens the reader with the idea that multitasking isn't beneficial because doing more than one activity at once can increase stress, anxiety and decrease focus (Tugend 717). Alina Tugend concludes her article with a solution that further benefits the reader. With this solution the author hopes to encourage people to focus on one activity at a time.

Purpose

The authors of the Norton Field Guide to Writing place the article "Multitasking Can Make You Lose...Um...Focus" by Alina Tugend in the section of articles titled: "Reports" (Bullock, Goggin, and Weinberg 692-725). Tugend's article provides evidence that proves that it is a report, but she also incorporates her own opinion inside the article. She illustrates this especially in paragraph 6 when she says, "But despite what many of us think, you cannot simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone" (Tugend 714 ).

The topic of this article is the subject of multitasking. The author provides the reader with an understanding, with the placement of her topic sentence located near the beginning of her article in paragraph 3 in the sentence that says, "While multitasking may seem to be saving time, psychologists, neuroscientists and others are finding that it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us less efficient" (Tugend 714). Tugend also employs a serious tone in a third person point of view, which is effective and appropriate for a report. This is displayed especially in the beginning of paragraph 5: "Of course, it depends what you're doing" (Tugend 714). The author's tone, and the amount of psychological studies (Tugend 714-718) provided in the article seem to suggest that the author respects the intelligence of the reader. It seems as if the intended audience for this article is anyone who is struggling with multitasking, or that multitasking could benefit. The author seems to want to persuade the reader of her thesis, but strays away from the stance of writing, as demonstrated in the "Ideas" section of my essay.

Order

When the reader begins to read this article, looking in paragraphs 2, 4 and 6 you can see that the author uses words like "Although", "Since the..", and "But despite..." to employ effective transitions (Tugend 714). Tugend places her topic sentence near the beginning of her article, which is effective for a report. As previously stated in the "Purpose" section of the essay, Tugend incorporates her topic sentence in paragraph 3 (Tugend 714). With her essay being published by the New York Times, and the development of her "to the point" paragraphs the author also provides the reader with cosmetic paragraph structure. Tugend also develops the order in her article in a traditional way. The author provides the reader with a chronological sequence, but also with a problem/solution method. Tugend describes the problem of multitasking in her thesis statement as, "....it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us less efficient" (Tugend 714), but concludes with a solution/understanding for the reader. The arrangement of the article is effective because the introduction, and the conclusion are presented expertly. The introduction begins with a series of questions like, "Are you listening to music or the radio? Yelling at your children? If you are looking at it online, are you e-mailing or instant-messaging at the same time?" allowing the reader to become curious of the authors subject. The conclusion of her article says, " So the next time the phone rings and a good friend is on the line, try this trick: Sit on the couch. Focus on the conversation. Don’t jump up, no matter how much you feel the need to clean the kitchen. It seems weird, but stick with it. You, too, can learn the art of single-tasking" (Tugend 718) which allows the reader to feel satisfied with their readings.

Ideas

The author provides the reader with a logical appeal, and adequate ideas to discuss on the subject. Tugend does this by elaborating on not only her opinion, but the research of professors, psychologists, and neuroscientists (714-718). The subject of multitasking does seem to, however, have a sense of a counter argument. The author elaborates on the thought that multitasking can "...actually make us less efficient" (Tugend 714), but in paragraph 5 she says "For some people, listening to music while working actually makes them more creative because they are using different cognitive functions" (Tugend 714). The difference in stance seems to suggest that the author believes that multitasking