Everyone thinks they can multitask, but, even if you can complete two tasks at once, you cannot do them to the best of your ability like you could if you did each task separately. 

According to Cleveland Clinic, “Studies show that when our brain is constantly switching gears to bounce back and forth between tasks – especially when those tasks are complex and require our active attention – we become less efficient and more likely to make a mistake.”

In today’s world with electronics that enable you to ‘multitask,’ no one ever thinks about what they’re really doing. In an article by Ilya Pozin in Forbes, he says, “It seems everyday a new company is developing tools that enable us to do more faster, and simultaneously with other tasks. We buy in because we think it will save us time — a precious currency in this day and age.” 

However, it’s not doing what people think it is. This ‘multitasking’ is causing psychological damage. Forbes says, “Research from the University of Sussex…found multitasking can cause emotional illnesses such as depression and anxiety. The study found a much smaller gray-matter density in the anterior cingulate cortex or ACC among participants who used a higher amount of media devices simultaneously.”

Being productive can be very difficult in today’s high school environment, and perhaps getting numerous things done at once can seem like a good idea, but in reality, it’s slowing you down. Forbes also says, “Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers also found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.”

According to Donald Wahl, the Psychology teacher at Arvada West, “Multitasking is a myth…It’s impossible because the brain can only do one thing efficiently at a time.” Wahl’s statement is accurate and reaffirmed by NPR,  The Washington Post, Psychology Today, and even The New York Times. Again and again, research is showing that multitasking is simply not something humans are truly capable of and something that shouldn’t even be attempted.