You’ve probably heard that multitasking can be problematic, but new studies have revealed an even more serious fact—multitasking reduces performance and can even damage your brain.
Research conducted at Stanford University has shown that multitasking leads to lower productivity than when you focus on a single task at a time. Scientists also found that people who are constantly bombarded with a lot of information at once are unable to maintain attention, recall information, or switch from one task to another as smoothly as people who typically focus on just one task at a time.
A special skill, or a misconception?
Do you think some people have a special ability for multitasking? Researchers at Stanford compared groups of people who are in the habit of doing several things at once because they believe it boosts their performance. Their findings were striking—for people who regularly engage in multiple activities simultaneously, it is far more difficult to complete all these activities successfully than for people who do not multitask. “Multitaskers” were unable to quickly organize their thoughts and filter out relevant information. They switched between tasks more slowly.
Why? The brain can only fully focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, it lacks the capacity needed to successfully complete both tasks.
Multitasking lowers your IQ
In addition to performance, multitasking also affects your IQ. A study at the University of London found that test participants who multitasked while performing cognitive tasks experienced an IQ decline similar to that caused by marijuana use or prolonged sleep deprivation. The IQ of the test subjects dropped by as much as 15 points—to the level of an 8-year-old child.
So the next time you decide to write an email during a company meeting, remember that your cognitive capacity is dropping to the level of a second-grader.
Is there a risk of permanent brain damage?
It has long been believed that cognitive impairment caused by multitasking is temporary, but a new study suggests otherwise. Researchers at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom compared the amount of time people spend using multiple devices (such as texting while watching TV) with MRI scans of the brain.
They found that multitaskers experience a loss of gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex—the region of the brain responsible for empathy and the regulation of emotional behavior.
Further research is needed to determine with certainty whether multitasking physically damages the brain, but its negative effects are demonstrable. Neuroscientist Kep Kee Loh, the study’s lead author, described the consequences of multitasking as follows:
“In my opinion, it’s important to realize that our interactions with various devices can change the way we think, and these changes can occur at the level of brain structure.”
What does this mean for you?
Multitasking is not a habit you should encourage—it takes a toll on the quality of your work. And even if it doesn’t cause permanent brain damage, it can exacerbate your existing problems with attention, concentration, and time management.
Multitasking during work meetings and other social situations indicates a low level of self-awareness and social awareness—two emotional intelligence (EQ) skills that are crucial for success. TalentSmart conducted tests on more than a million people—the results showed that up to 90% of top performers have high EQ. If multitasking does indeed damage the anterior cingulate cortex, as research suggests, and you continue to do it, your EQ will decrease significantly.
Whenever you try to do multiple things at once, you’re not only compromising your performance in the moment, but you may very well be damaging the part of your brain that is crucial to your future professional success.
Our recommendation? Stop unnecessarily overloading yourself; instead, fully immerse yourself in a single task and focus on boosting your brain’s performance—perhaps through fun science games.
Based on the article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/
