Imagine you have to do the dishes for chores, but you also want to talk to your friends; you can do both when you do them together as one task. This is the concept of multitasking, where you can do two, or more tasks together in tandem and finish them faster. Benefits of multitasking for teenagers are task enhancement and emotional reward, and development of cognitive flexibility. 

“When teenagers combine necessary tasks, like homework, with media use, such as texting friends, they often report that the main task becomes more rewarding, stimulating, or pleasant,” says (news.oso.edu). This shows that teenagers might use multitasking to make otherwise mundane or difficult tasks, such as homework or chores, seem more enjoyable. Many Apex High students I have seen in my classes, generally seemed smitten with the cell phones and usually tried to find a way around doing their classwork to be on them. This is a bad practice and I think it would be more productive for them to also invest time on their studies along with using their cell phones.

“Multitasking, particularly digital multitasking, can promote digital literacy and enhance task-switching efficiency, which are valuable skills in some professional settings,” says (pmc.ncbi.nim.nih.gov). While the brain was not made to do multiple tasks at once, the constant switching between tasks during multitasking can lead to increased cognitive flexibility. Certain forms of multitasking can be beneficial at your workplace as well. An Apex High student who is efficient in switching tasks and can do multiple assignments together is better equipped to get a job than one who can do only one task at a time. 

I think it would be good for teenagers to try multitasking since it would help them get their work done faster and make them adept at switching between different mental processes. Although, it might not work for everyone and some people might not finish their work properly. However, it is important to try it first before deciding for yourself. In the end, multitasking is emotionally very fulfilling and is beneficial in getting the work you despise, done faster and more enjoyable.