THE MYTH OF MULTITASKING IS IT REALLY WORTH IT

Multitasking, or working on multiple projects at once, is often seen as a desirable skill in the workplace. However, research suggests that multitasking may not be as beneficial as we think, and may even have negative effects on productivity and intelligence.

A study by Stanford University found that multitasking can decrease productivity by up to 60% and lower IQ by over 10 points. This is because our brains struggle to effectively process multiple streams of information at once. When multitasking, we use a lot of energy quickly switching between tasks, which can prevent us from fully focusing on any one task and can lead to decreased performance and increased errors.

Another study from Stanford found that students who frequently multitasked had difficulty counting red arrows on a screen when there were also blue arrows present. This is because their brains were trained to pay attention to every stimulus, even if it was not relevant to the task at hand. In contrast, the brains of students who did not multitask were better able to concentrate and ignore distractions.

The negative effects of multitasking are also discussed in the book "IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life." The authors argue that although we may believe multitasking helps us save time, the opposite is actually true. They claim that people who pride themselves on their ability to multitask are often among the least productive because they use all of their energy switching between tasks rather than focusing on one task effectively.

Given these findings, it may be more effective to focus on one task at a time, a technique known as single-tasking. Single-tasking allows us to give our full attention to one task and may help us achieve a state of flow, a state of intense focus and motivation.

So, is multitasking worth it? It depends on the situation and the tasks at hand. For tasks that require a lot of concentration and attention to detail, single-tasking may be more efficient. However, multitasking may not have negative effects if the tasks are simple and do not require much mental effort.

In conclusion, research suggests that multitasking may not be as effective as we thought. Instead, focusing on one task at a time and entering a state of flow may be a better strategy for increasing productivity and avoiding the drawbacks of multitasking.