Multitasking is making you dumber
Some evidence has come to light
I open my laptop with the intention of getting work done before I sleep and ‘RING!’ the phone beside me lights up. I open the phone and start texting a friend. I am also reading an article on my laptop all the while texting someone on the phone.
Whilst reading the article I am thinking about what to say to a friend, and what he will say since we are having a digital conversation. I now have to backtrack and read again and again because I keep forgetting. Finally, I get mad, shut down the laptop, and continue with the conversation.
This is not a weird event (for me, at least). It has happened countless times in my life and only recently did I realize that my ‘getting mad’ part is not unique. On the contrary, this happens to almost everyone.
When you try and multitask or when you are multitasking, your brain starts exhausting at a faster than usual speed. This way, we start getting overwhelmed and tired. This causes the ‘feeling mad.’
It is hard to NOT Multitask!
Now the thing is, in the modern world, telling someone to not multitask is harder than telling the Sun to shut down- Not gonna work! A study indicated that we go through the day processing 74 GB of data every day! This is more than 10 movies a day!
We all have mobile phones and we all are on social media platforms. If I say we use them every day it’s going to be a fair guess. In 2021 4 Billion people were reportedly active on social media! That is more than half the world!
A major drawback with social media is the fact that it requires no effort. You could be scrolling on Facebook for an hour and not remembering anything you read!
We don’t process any information. This is because we are constantly scrolling. When you read something meaningful, it takes just another second for that to be gone. Thus, our brain doesn’t have enough time to save it and another one comes. At a point the brain goes, “Why bother?”
Even when you do read something meaningful that makes you think, your brain has to process it to remember it. If you keep scrolling, it is going to get overwhelmed and eventually forget.
Multitasking is making you dumber
For the longest time people who would watch a show and hold a conversation on their phones would impress me. I thought they were really smart because I couldn’t do it. Recently I read that people who multitask more than others have lower gray matter density in the brain.
This corresponds to decreased cognitive control. In normal words, it makes them less intelligent. It isn’t a superpower, it is more like shooting at your own foot.
The University of London conducted a study that showed that for people who multitasked during cognitive tasks, their IQ came out to be lower than what it would have been having they stayed up all night smoking marijuana. Insane!
The reason is the lack of focused attention resulting in the brain saving the information in the wrong parts.
Research shows that it is impossible to focus on two things at the same time. This would make you think that maybe the focus is divided but that is not the case, we just can’t.
When we do two things at the same time, for example, driving a car and using your phone, your brain is especially focused on one of the two. This can happen if you are a very experienced driver and know the routes like the back of your hand. In that case, driving a car is an automated task, not a focused one.
Of course, if a car is about to crash in you, you will know due to the sudden entrance of an alien object in the span of your vision. Your response will likely be subconscious too, but that is not multitasking.
You must have noticed yourself, or someone else driving getting quiet when going through a slim turn or moving through a lot of traffic.
Prevents us from reaching a flow state
The Eden of attention is the flow state. I am sure you will have heard of it but nonetheless,
Flow state is the state of maximum productivity. In such a state, you are so immersed in a task or activity that you forget everything else for a period of time. It is just you and that task/activity.
Multitasking is Hell if Flow is Heaven.
The most important condition of reaching flow is eliminating distractions. It can be reached in anything as long as it is slightly or moderately challenging. When something is insanely challenging, and seems more like an impossibility, in that case, you can’t achieve such a state.
Flow is due to a prolonged period of focused attention. Your brain has to know that the task is important for it to totally attend to it.
This is where peak performance occurs but it is not a special phenomenon. Nowadays it seems mystical and maybe even nonsensical. How can you forget everything? The truth is you are not forgetting anything, you are just putting it in the back of your mind, being fully committed to something.
You could be in the flow state washing dishes if you give it enough attention. The condition is that the attention has to be consistent and prolonged. It could mean up to 90 minutes.
Before the invention of social media and mobile phones, in particular, this wasn’t very uncommon.
When things have to be done quicker, rather than switching between tasks, it is better to rely more on concentrated attention.
This doesn’t mean don’t switch between tasks, just be more organized. Block out specific times, but in those times, don’t be distracted.
Common sources of distraction
Distraction is easiest through notifications nowadays. So here is a tip, try either muting your phone or computer notifications or putting it somewhere else, better yet, do both.
Visual cues also play a part. If there is too much in a room, or if there is a rapid movement within the span of your vision, you are likely to throw attention to that unless you consciously decide not to. That can work, but the better approach is to sit alone, now you don’t have to consistently consciously control your attention. Maybe put on headphones to drown out background noise.
Using phones mid-tasks is another issue. Who doesn’t do that? It is weirder not doing it than doing it. Again, attention is moving here and there, the end product is more likely not going to be favorable.
We are all also distracted by thoughts during tasks. Mostly, unfinished ones. So whilst I am writing this article if I have to make food because I am hungry, that could distract me. A study said that simply thinking about an unread email while doing something mentally demanding could reduce IQ by 10–15 points!
You can’t shut down thoughts, what you should try is writing that recurring thought on a piece of paper that you can see. This way that thought will likely go away. I have tried this and it has worked for me.
What people do is try to not think of it. Having done this countless times as well, and I am sure you have had a similar experience, it doesn’t seem to work. The thought only pesters you more.
Sometimes you just have to
Sometimes, we just have to multitask. We might be in a hurry, for example, putting on a jacket whilst eating a snack or watching a movie whilst eating. That’s okay because eating is more of a habit. It is not a mentally demanding task.
The effects of multitasking are most observable and effecting in demanding tasks. When doing them, we should be totally attending to them, otherwise, it is not doing anyone us any favors.
Conclusion
The popular notion that people who can multitask often are smarter than those who don’t is contrary to factual evidence and scientific studies. Multitasking in the modern age is very common. Everywhere you see people doing it.
If you feel like you ‘could’ have done better in something, chances are this may be the reason. I recommend anyone to try to do something without distractions for once. The difference will be massive.
Turning off notifications when working can be very beneficial. And yes, sometimes you may just have to get work done in a crowded environment, in that case, I tend to use headphones to cancel out background noise.
I get everything done much quicker this way and I am sure anyone else can too!
Would love to know what you think in the comments below!
