Our brains aren’t built to multi-task
In this high-tech, high-pressure age, multitasking has become a national pastime. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, we can always add one more ball to the juggling act. Many people regularly check their iPhone while they’re in a restaurant, ignoring their family while they catch up on emails or Tiktok.
“Because of all of the new electronic gadgets like iPhones and other devices, multitasking
has exploded, said David Meyer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology, cognition and perception at the University of Michigan.
Doing several tasks simultaneously may seem like the height of efficiency — and it would be, if a person had more than one brain. In the real world, multitasking actually wastes time and reduces work quality, Meyer said.
Missed deadlines and shoddy work may get a person fired, but they’re not the most worrisome consequence of multitasking.
Juggling tasks can be very stressful, and, in the short term, stress makes you feel lousy.
In the long term, it can become a serious threat to health — and that’s not even counting the dangers of sending a fax while changing lanes.
“The brain is not equipped to do heavy-duty multitasking,” Meyer said. “Multitasking is especially futile if the different activities use the same part of the brain.”
Source: HealthDay
