Multitasking is Not Worth it

Time and time again, I am told of the miraculous fruits bore by the ability to successfully multitask. I don’t doubt that being able to juggle many tasks at the same time can be great, but I do doubt the quality of output.

Multitasking has its place. Simple tasks such as talking on the phone and doing laundry, for instance, are both pretty basic functions that our brain can handle at the same time (well, it depends on the phone conversation). So multitasking is awesome for that. One could argue that’s a great skill to have.

Multitasking can also be wholly inappropriate. Any task that involves intense concentration on a particular subject should not be multitasked. This should be obvious. For example, when designing a web site, that’s all I focus on. No phones, no emails, no distractions. The design of the web site requires the majority of my cognitive functions and that’s where I’ll direct my attention.

To try to multitask complex or difficult activities is dangerous. In my view, doing so spreads your brain power over a set of activities thus reducing the attention supply needed for any one task. Complex tasks often call for the need of quality output. You’re taking on the complex task in order to do a good job with it (well, that could be arguable). By diluting your attention with other tasks, the quality of each task you’re focusing on diminishes.

I could reference countless scientific studies, but I don’t think I need to.