Is multitasking as efficient as we think?

Study, talk on the phone, work, text, listen to music, take a bite on your food, chat with a friend, check Facebook, work more, sip some water, look up for recipes online, read blogs, back to studying, google, text again, answer the phone, take another bite, more googling, answer an e-mail, check on a crying baby, phone rings…

 \o_ Raise your hand if you have never multitasked before. (I don't see any hands…) Everybody multitasks! Multitasking is the act of doing two or more tasks at the same time by one person. In the society we live today, it is almost impossible not to be required to do more than one thing at the same time. We talk as we drive, we text as we shop, we google as we write papers, we check e-mails as we watch lectures, we watch TV as we eat, we chat with friends as we play with our kids... We are constantly doing other things while switching back and forth to check our calendars, text a friend, reply an e-mailing, update our to-do-list, talk on the phone, etc. Some people even multitask brushing their teeth! When Sophia was a baby, we used to multitask a lot!

Is it, however, as productive as we think it is? Are we gaining time and accomplishing our goals efficiently when we multitask?

Studies show that it is actually not as productive and effective as we think it is. When multitasking, we are constantly switching our focus from one activity to another. Our brains can not really do two things simultaneously. As we switch from one thing to another, the attention we give to each activity is consequently more superficial than it would be if we were focused on only one thing for a longer period of time.

Let's do a simple activity to illustrate how less productive we become when we multitask. Take a piece of paper and draw a line. Like this:

_______________________________________________________________________

On the upper part, I want you to write the following sentence: "Is multitasking as efficient as we think?". Hey, not yet! Read the rest of the instructions first. On the bottom part, you will write down numbers by 2's. For instance: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc…
However, you will do both at the same time. Actually, switching back and forth. For each letter you write on the upper part, you add a number on the bottom part, then you write one more letter on the upper, and one more number on the bottom. Like this:

I   S      M  U   L   T   I  …                                                                                                                    
2  4      6   8  10  12  14...

Do it as fast as you can. Time yourself. How long did it take? Write down the seconds/minutes it took. Then, do it again by focusing on only one thing at a time (first the sentence and then only the numbers).

You will notice the difference. Check your work and compare the numbers. Was there any difference? By doing it separately, you will probably finish it a lot faster. When you multitask, you might get letters mixed up, you might skip a number, it will be more stressful, your handwriting is not as beautiful, and you will definitely take longer.

Here's a fun game (shared by a classmate from Virginia Tech last week) that illustrates how our performance is affected when we multitask. Have fun! Share your scores!
 Click here to play!!

Dr. Nass, from Stanford University in California, decided to do some experimental research with some students (link to watch video) and found that the same students were not as productive when they were multitasking in comparison to when they were asked to do the same tasks separately. Interestingly, they all believed that they were equally effective!
The researcher found that, when multitasking, students:
- were slower
- got distracted constantly
- had a very disorganized memory
- showed poor analytical reasoning
- committed more mistakes
- presented increased stress level


Overall, the habit of multitasking creates people unable to think well and clearly. Multitasking makes people think less about the big picture and focus only on snaps and bits. It produces superficial thoughts. Also, it takes more time, more energy, and can be more stressful. In the end, the product of the work is not as depth and of a high quality as it could be; and the ability to organize the memory or the content learned is not as efficient either.

Since we live in the world of multitasking and we can't really change our reality, let's learn how we can better deal with it. Here are some tips.

Adults (that's you!) - Be aware of how often and in what way you multitask. Have self-control. Try not multitasking and compare the results. Focus on one thing at a time. Make wise choices. When studying or working on something important, turn off your cellphone or step away from the computer. If necessary, pick a place and a moment of your day where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Plan your day wisely. Have a routine. Make to-do-lists. Don't try to do two or more things at the same time. It is not effective. Train yourself to concentrate and make more complex analytical thinking. Even simple tasks as writing the grocery list can contain mistakes if we do it as we chat on the phone or watch a movie. Don't use cell phones while driving.

Teenagers (your students or your kids) - This is challenging! Teenagers WILL multitask! We can't help it. They were born immersed in a technological world with constant stimulation. My advice is to meet them where they are. Don't fight against them, but offer them new ideas of productive things to do with the tools they enjoy. For instance, instead of having them play computer games all day, ask them to Google something for you (pick a topic); suggest them to create a Blog about sports or other things that interest them; motivate them to find interesting videos on uTube about … (pick a topic) or watch documentaries on Netflix. Have them take responsibility for their choice. Make them pay part of their phone bill and teach them to control the time spent on the phone. Give them tasks that will keep them away from the computer or the phone for a while. Take them hiking or camping. Invite friends over. Educate them about the risks of texting and driving. (By the way, texting while driving can increase up to 23 times the chance of having a car accident.)
If you are a teacher, check out this uTube video about Flipped Classroom. If possible, use it with your students. By flipping  the classroom, you are having them watch the lectures at home from their iPhones, computers, or iPads. Then, you can use the time in the classroom to engage them in their homework, activities, discussions, experiments, projects, etc. This way, you are making their time at home and at school more productive. There are many other ideas out there. Google and be creative!

Children (your little ones) - While you still can, teach them to focus on one thing at a time. Don't allow them to watch TV as they eat, for instance. Actually, if they are under 15 months, they should not be watching TV at all. Don't give them too many toys to play with. Don't overwhelm your child. If it's reading time, let's read (holding one toy is enough). Read one book and a time and put them away before moving on to the next book. If it's mealtime, let's eat - no TV and no toys at the table. There's no need to provoke distraction. There's no need for our children to be multitasking yet. Avoid stress. Teach them to be organized. Do structured play. Select one set of toys at a time. Clean-up after playing. Don't overwhelm your child's bed with too many stuffed animals or their room with too much stuff. They don't need too much stimulation. Take them outside (avoid bringing too many toys along) and focus on the nature, on running, on climbing, on picking up rocks, on singing songs... Focus on the simple things in life.

Hope you learned something from this posting today!
Good luck on finding your balance between multitasking and mono-tasking.

Now, I'll turn off my computer and focus on my readings.

Talk to you soon,
Beatriz Lima