Generation M: Natural Multitaskers

Advancements In Technology Widening Generation Gap

(CBS)  When Nick Pasqua gets home from school, he eats, checks in with the folks and heads upstairs to his multimedia center, something previous generations called a bedroom.

As CBS News Correspondent Mika Brzezinski reports, the choices for this 13-year-old are endless: an Xbox, a GameCube, a television and videos.

For hours, Nick does his homework, listens to music and even watches TV, all while Instant Messaging - or IMing - his 13-year-old friend Andrew Kaufman. Andrew is IMing Nick back, talking on the phone and doing his social studies -- with a side of Dave Matthews blaring from his speakers.

"I'm a natural multitasker," says Andrew.

Call them Generation M, for media. A recent study found that kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend more than 44 hours per week plugged into computers, cell phones, music and TV, often simultaneously. Kids' brains are on overdrive, compressing 60 hours of information into only 44.

Asked how many conversations he can have at once, Nick says: "I've had 20."

Two-thirds of kids have TVs in their bedrooms. Check out the Boydman household, which has eight televisions.

"Yeah, that's bad," says mom Lisa Boydman.

Eleven-year-old Alexie IMs while doing homework, as does her 17-year-old sister, Stefani. And when Stefani's not on the computer, she's watching TV while doing math homework.