Multi-tasking teens losing the ability to concentrate

This afternoon while I was in a local grocery store, the girl checking out customers kept text messaging between customers, as well as between items with the same customer!

Last Friday I was in another store in a local village center, and the girl who checked me out was having a personal conversation on her cell phone while she rang up my items.

Last week while at another store, a young man who worked there bringing carts back in to the store was talking on his cell phone during work hours. I did see the manager tell him to put the phone away.

Perhaps I am appalled simply because I am an older person out of touch with the way things are now. Perhaps I am appalled because, as a high-school teacher, I face this same problem daily with students. The students "multi-task" constantly and they claim that they are accomplishing a lot.

However, studies are showing that deep analytical thinking is not occurring. They just think that they are accomplishing a lot. I give group tests and many times no students have passing grades. There is no attention to the task at hand. Those tech devices are in the hands of young people constantly: both in school and out on the job.

I give students the consequence of a zero on the day's work. Most do not care and will accept a zero. They are now out in the work force with the same habits of self-preoccupation.

I do hope that employers have consequences for such rude behavior on the job. I know that I will shop elsewhere if I continue to encounter young people behind the counter talking and texting while on the job.

Alice Levy

Jessup

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