Multitasking: is it worth it?

Our constant connectivity, through our phones and other web devices, provides unprecedented access to information and presents a constant temptation for multitasking. Any activity, from making dinner to walking your child to school, can be accompanied by music, photos, or social media updates.

We are drawn to multitasking for many reasons:

• convenience
• boredom
• instant social gratification
• digital distraction

Generally people who think they can split their attention between multiple tasks at once aren’t getting more done. If fact, they are doing less with more stress and performing worse than those who single-task. Researchers suggest that multitasking can actually reduce productivity by as much as 40 percent.

Don’t believe me?

Take this small test:

1. Draw two horizontal lines on a piece of paper.
2. Now, have someone time you as you carry out the two tasks that follow:

• On the first line, write:
  • I am a great multitasker.

• On the second line, write out the numbers 1-20 sequentially, like those below:
  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

How much time did it take to do the two tasks? Usually it’s about 20 seconds.

Now, try multitasking.

Draw two more horizontal lines. This time, and again have someone time you, write a letter on one line, and then a number on the line below, then the next letter in the sentence on the upper line, and then the next number in the sequence, changing from line to line. In other words, you write the letter “I” and then the number “1” and then the letter “a” and then the number “2” and so on, until you complete both lines.

I’ll bet you your time more than doubled from the first round with errors. You might have also experienced some frustration.

When we attempt multitasking, we are really task switching. Our brains can only handle one activity at a time. So in the end we switch between tasks every time we check our phone, read an email, or listen to a podcast.

Consider sharing the test with your significant other or your children. Use it as an opportunity to talk about the dangers of task switching. Task switching doesn’t just affect you. It interferes with your ability to connect with others and can potentially endanger them too. The fraction of a second it takes to change a task could mean life or death for someone driving and texting.

So next time you think about task switching, stop and try something new. Give yourself a time limit (say 20 minutes) and focus on just one task. See if you can complete the task better, faster, and with less energy and stress.