(May 16, 2008) — Many things have been said about people in our generation, or as some people say Generation Y’. It is inevitable that as a new generation is born things change, and often these changes aren’t kindly received by those in the previous generation. These changes include new styles of art and music, different slang words, and in our generations case an inability to be patient and focus on one thing at a time. People our age or often simultaneously chatting with friends on aim, browsing the web, doing homework and listening to music all at the same time. With this kind of stimulation all happening at once, it’s no surprise that when someone in our generation is left to sit quietly and do nothing they feel uncomfortable and in need of something to do. “I hate that feeling. I get anxious,” said sophomore Moses Ter-Oganesyan. He’s one of the many students who can’t focus on just one task at a time. “When I talk to people I just go on and on about stuff on my mind.” Ter- Oganesyan is no stranger to multitasking, either. “I talk on the phone while chatting on AIM and sometimes the person I’m talking to hears the sound of the typing and gets aggravated,” said Ter- Oganesyan. “I study, talk on the phone with my best friends, make time for tennis, cramming in piano, and fi nding some time to eat in between,” said sophomore Diana Gevorgyan. Many students can relate to this sort of schedule, with school and other activities taking up ever last minute of their time. While a large number of people our age certainly have this problem, it’s important to clarify the difference between being easily bored and having an actual disorder, such as Attention Defi cit Disorder (A.D.D.). People with this developmental disorder often have problems with concentrating and controlling impulses. Many people who do not have this disorder like to use the expression “I’m so A.D.D.” jokingly to explain themselves when they’re having trouble concentrating or they’re doing many different things at once. It may seem like an innocent expression, but with so many people being diagnosed with A.D.D. today it’s nothing to joke about for many people. Teachers such as Jacquie Nelson know fi rst-hand the challenges faced by students with A.D.D. “It can be frustrating to continually make sure the student is on task,” said Nelson. “They’re often easily distracted so anything going on in that classroom distracts them from doing their work.” People today have more trouble focusing than previous generations, and whether it’s from an upsurge in A.D.D. or simply infl uential factors such as television or the Internet, it isn’t clear. Being wired to computer screens and glued to cell phones are the typical case. The important thing is that people without A.D.D. can choose to simply try harder to focus on the task at hand, whereas people with the disorder cannot. Those who want to change their lives in that respect should simply consider the pre-existing advantage of not having A.D.D. that they were born with, and use that to improve their lives. It may be an old cliché, but people need to count their blessings more often.