Multitasker..seriously?

In this post, I am letting you know how the so-called term ‘Multitasking ‘has creeped into our everyday life and in our conversation and how much it has distorted our personality disposition.

When someone asks, Are you a Multitasker……..Seriously?!

I cannot boast of myself being a multitasker. I wonder how people can add a special dimension to their personality with this attribute. You must have heard people saying- “Oh, don’t even point out at my time management skill and my work efficiency! I am a multitasker and can manage to do everything with perfection !!”

What is Multitasking?

Can we say “Many numbers of activities done simultaneously with the least amount of pause is Multitasking”.

Interestingly, research shows that one needs to spend a substantial amount of time on a task, for better comprehension and to be fully aware of what the situation demands. One needs to give enough time before switching on to another.Preferably switching should be between only TWO TASKS FOR A RELATIVELY BETTER PERFORMANCE

What is the reality? Is Multitasking a myth?

Read the observations put forth by John J Medina, a molecular biologist, in Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School “The brain cannot multitask…..The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time….This attentional ability is, to put it bluntly, not capable of multitasking “The brain cannot multitask. Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time……To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing information-rich inputs simultaneously. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50% longer to accomplish a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50% more errors”

What do we see around us?

 Parents feel proud that their children of all ages, whether school-going or college-going, without any fuss can finish eating or do their learning while watching the television or while listening to music or listening to your gossip!! Have you not seen parents being proud of their non-fussy children?

Some of the parents feel proud of the ability of their children capable of switching back and forth between tasks which are left half-done.

•  “My child wakes up at the crack of the dawn to sit and study but dozes off while studying for his entrance exam. And you know that my child is not an EARLY BIRD”
• “Why can’t you answer me, are you in your own world dreaming? Answer me”
• “Oh god, how many times should I tell you and ask you not to forget”
• “How could you forget your project and come to me in the nth moment”.

As Educators what is our role?

As educators, we tell the parents to make their children perform one activity at a time with dedication. Here, don’t you think the focus gets diluted when many tasks are handled simultaneously? Do you think that the child enjoys the food or does the homework with good undivided attention? Listening to music is therapeutic, but, at the same time, it makes one perform the task as an act of reflex.

Causes for making one develop multitasking a habit every day:

• Children mimic their parents and parents encourage their children to do it consistently every day
• Comparing with others and pushing them to multitask to prove their mettle
• Evolution in technology, promising to entertain and make your job a lot easier (emancipation !!)

Shall we look at a teacher’s performance at school?  Please come, and have a look at the two different situations.

1. In situation one-When it comes to the teachers too, multitasking can be very disruptive. Imagine if teachers converse and correct the books of the students, it proves to be non-beneficial. WHY? The deserving student might miss the deserving appreciation and the non-deserving student might end up with an all-right-answer as a response to an incorrect answer.

• “OOPS, do I have to figure out my mistake all over again in the whole big pile, god save me!!”
•  “Oh sorry, pardon me!! This is one of the reasons why I prefer to have MY ‘me time while doing the evaluation, do you understand now? next time don’t even bother me during correction !!”
• “I don’t want to hear any complaints with respect to my correction or about the quality of my work”
• “God, how could I do this mistake and how do I face them”
• “I have had such a good name in the organization, and now, look at the mess I have created and have to apologies or convince”

2.. In yet another situation teacher, while correcting the homework books, gets into a class for teaching leaving the evaluation activity on hold. After finishing the class, comes back to continue with the task of evaluation. In this case, the teacher takes a while to engage herself/ himself with the task This is because of the abrupt shift and interruption in the flow of thinking. In this situation, the teacher performs a task one after the other and allows herself to focus completely on the task at hand this is called switching from one task to another. The switch should not be an abrupt exit or an abrupt intervention.

• ‘’ although it takes time to settle down with my work and to focus on, I feel less drained out, wow, is it not good for me”
• “I can do justice to my work without anybody pointing out my mistakes”
• “I have completed my work without any guilt in my mind. I feel so relieved”
• “Good, I could plan my work well and finish on time”

HOW BETTER IS IT AT HOME?

At home too, the situation is no better !!

When observed, you can see members of the family busy with their cellphones and eat and having selective random interactions, and flashing their pearly teeth through their lips. Hasn’t this activity brought a virtual wall in face-to-face communication and intimate or cordial relationships?

•  IS THIS MULTITASKING, WORTH MENTIONING!?
•  You may have many explanations and may think juggling is YOUR most efficient way to get everything done. You may argue that the culture of multitasking is ingrained in your routine and that is very much necessary in today’s times and saves a lot of time.

Disadvantages of forcing to do many activities simultaneously, which we call, multitasking:

 In small children

• Hampers the absorption of the information in the still-developing-young-brain and can reduce THE COGNITIVE CAPACITY
• Absentmindedly done tasks with prompting will not get registered in the mind. So please tell me, what is the use?
• Cultivates the habit of having direct eye contact with the other person during the conversation.

For all those adults and for all those who are going to- be- adults

• Remember MORE THE NUMBER OF TASKS, THE HARDER THE BRAIN SHOULD WORK. It seems like-” Ugh! I need a break please ….!”
• Anxiety builds up leading to frustration, Jealousy, and compromised excellence. “Oh really, you are getting on my nerves!!
• Brings down productivity and allows errors to creep in while losing resilience “How on earth do you expect me to complete the task with perfection? Consider it a human error. I am not a computer multitasking operating system. Did you understand?”
• An abrupt switch, made carelessly, can de-rail productivity when resumed, after a long pause
• Loses the sense of prioritisation-” Please, God, I feel like pulling my hair out. I am confused”
• Feels burnt out-“I am going blank “

What should we do to be more efficient in our performance?

For the same reason, In children, instill and encourage the art of prioritizing and mindful switching from one task to another with a non-forced transition. And being an adult, learn to switch from one to another with ease to prevent the occurrence of attention deficit in the long run. As not all students come with equal thinking, performing, and expressing abilities, don’t expect perfect multitasking from the students, but, set appropriate limits & be reasonable!!

To know why I have written so much about how people project and boast of their skill performance as multitasking and why it is nothing but a myth, visit psychologytoday.com

It might remind you of a funny quote “MULTITASKING……. THE ART OF MESSING UP SEVERAL THINGS AT ONCE” let this not be the case when you multitask!

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