Multitasking is counterproductive and self-deceiving

Multitasking means rapidly shifting our attention focus from one thing to another. It gives us the illusion of having done more whilst actually accomplished less. It floods our working selves non-stop with distractions.

We think we get better at multitasking by attempting/practising it more often. This is a fallacy resulting from Mere-Exposure Effect. We confuse familiarity with skill, skilfulness and expertise.
==> [Familiarity transposes existing stances]

The more we attempt to multitask, the worse we actually become at it. We actually do not practise multi-TASKing, we practise frequent shift of attention and getting less done at a time.

• ‘While those who multitasked felt more productive, their productivity actually decreased – a lot (Wang and Tchernev 2012; Rosen 2008; Ophir, Nass, and Wagner 2009). Not only the quantity but also the quality of their accomplishments lagged significantly behind that of the control group.
• ‘But what is most interesting about these studies is not the fact that the productivity and the quality of the work decreases with multitasking, but that it also impairs the ability to deal with more than one thing at a time!
• ‘This result is surprising, because we usually expect to become better at something the more often we do it. But on a closer look, it makes sense. Multitasking is not what we think it is. It is not focusing attention on more than one thing at a time. Nobody can do that. When we think we multitask, what we really do is shift our attention quickly between two (or more) things. And every shift is a drain on our ability to shift and delays the moment we manage to get focused again. Trying to multitask fatigues us and decreases our ability to deal with more than one task.’ (Ahrens)

Different tasks require different kinds of attention (Ahrens). It is important to allocate separate attention to separate tasks. Do not scramble them all at once.

• E.g. In writing, reading ≠ making notes ≠ thinking of ideas to write ≠ drafting ≠ proofreading.

Related

• [Attention, work and workflow]

Last update: 2021-02-21

References

Ahrens, Sönke. [How To Take Smart Notes]: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers. Sönke Ahrens, 2017, ch. 9.

Ophir, Eyal, et al. ‘Cognitive Control in Media Multitaskers’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 106, no. 37, National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 2009, pp. 15583–87. www.pnas.org, doi:10.1073/pnas.0903620106. Accessed 15 Feb. 2021.

Rosen, Christine. ‘The Myth of Multitasking’. The New Atlantis, vol. Spring, no. 20, June 2008, pp. 105–10.

Wang, Zheng, and John M. Tchernev. ‘The “Myth” of Media Multitasking: Reciprocal Dynamics of Media Multitasking, Personal Needs, and Gratifications’. Journal of Communication, vol. 62, no. 3, June 2012, pp. 493–513. Silverchair, doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01641.x. Accessed 15 Feb. 2021.