Multitasking: A Student’s Worst Enemy

This class is boring. I will use the time to finish an assignment.

 

I am going to text my friends during that lecture.

 

I will watch some TV while I write my paper.

 

If you have said at least one of these sentences to yourself, you have entered the draining multitasking loop. And so have I. But before considering completing your next assignment during a lecture, I will discourage you from doing it. Not because I want to interfere in your busy schedule but because multitasking is a productivity killer rather than an effective time-management tool, as many perceive. And it can harm everyone who practices it, especially university students.

 

Multitasking was coined as a term in 1965 by IBM. The original definition is in the context of computing and refers to computers’ abilities to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and efficiently. When people multitask, they also try to do two or more things at the same time. But here comes the difference between humans and machines. When we multitask, we cannot actually do the tasks simultaneously. Instead, we switch them. This switching tires our brains and makes us less efficient. This is why computers can multitask and humans - not.

Imagine you have an afternoon lecture. The day is almost over, and you still have many tasks. You open your laptop and start typing your assignment, then a friend texts you, and you cannot resist answering. You start typing again but look at the professor and nod as a sign of paying attention. You have no idea what he is talking about. Then, you quickly peek at your favorite store’s website because they have a sale. Until you realize the class is over, your assignment is still unfinished, and the professor’s explanations remain a mystery.

 

The inability to be efficient during multitasking has a scientific explanation. In 2001, American psychologists Joshua Rubinstein, Jeffrey Evans, and David Meyer conducted four experiments in which young adults had to switch between different tasks. As a result, it was stated that even if the task switches are a few seconds long, they lead to a significant loss in someone’s productive time, sometimes up to 40 percent.

 

Apart from killing productivity, multitasking can seriously damage your mental health. As a multitasker myself, I’ve felt the stress and anxiety caused by rushing through assignments, work, and exam preparation. Task switching can make you so slow and ineffective that if you constantly do it, you will lose the balance between work and personal life.

 

A correlation between higher anxiety and computer multitasking has been found among college students. When using their computers to study or work, students usually browse between windows and tabs, trying to escape the monotonous world of studying and enter the appealing social media realm. This constant juggling causes distraction and dissatisfaction with your performance. Furthermore, as the tension builds up, you may start suffering from chronic stress, depression, and even develop heart problems.

 

Task switching is not only harmful to you but to those around you as well. Once you start a multitasking session, your brain starts prioritizing the tasks and tasks only. You are determined to finish them as the deadlines are rapidly approaching, but you also get frustrated and wonder why this torture cannot be already done. Imagine you get a phone call from your mom. You either pick up and talk to her for a minute with frustration or do not answer. There are always these two scenarios. You are either half-present or absent.

 

A study found that only 2.5 percent of people worldwide are effective multitaskers. When they attempt to complete two tasks simultaneously, their brain does not feel threatened but manages the problems. They are less likely to get stressed, anxious, or ignore those around them for the sake of doing too many things at once. 2.5 percent out of more than 8 billion people is a little. So, let us use this as a reminder that you and I are probably not in that number.

 

Regardless, sometimes students do not have another choice but to multitask. Or they think they do not. But I have been there quite a few times, so I know the drill. Task switching becomes incredibly intense during exam weeks when deadlines are tight, exam after exam is coming, and projects should be turned in. Of course, with stricter time management and early preparation, the stress can be avoided. But it’s easier said than done. Sometimes, prioritizing quantity over quality just feels like the more simple route.

 

Next time you find yourself doing an assignment during a lecture, please close the tab and do it later. By juggling between tasks, we forget how to learn and be present. I know it is tempting to finish a lot quickly, but it is much more rewarding to do it when you are calm and undistracted. You are not a machine, so stop acting like one. I want to stop, too.