Is multitasking a myth? Here’s what an expert says about divided attention.
Busy working mom Erika Robinson is all too familiar with the multitasking world we live in.
“We have to go home and think about what we have to do for ourselves, what we have to do for our children. Cook,
Get their clothes ready, make sure they do their homework,” Robinson told CBS News.
Although many of us lead busy lives Juggling multiple tasks Right off the bat, are we really? multitasking?
Author and consultant Linda Stone has researched this topic for years and found that humans aren’t very good at it. In 1998, she even coined the term’s true meaning: “sustained partial attention.”
“There’s no real multitasking,” she said. “We were never doing anything at the same time. We were just switching tasks very quickly.”
Stone spent her career at Apple and Microsoft observing how humans interact with technology, which led her to focus on the myth of multitasking.
Research shows that while she thinks chewing gum while walking is “simple multitasking” Not connected to multitasking When it comes to something more complex.
For example, one study of doctors found that multitasking almost doubled the errors in prescribing.
Stone says our divided attention is causing more damage than we realize.
“Smartphones are fantastic. We can do so many things. It’s one of the most alluring tools ever in our hands. But what happens to the body? Our necks sag, our postures are lost. We lose normalcy The ability to breathe,” she said.
Stone says our brains and bodies need to relax by things like going out for a walk, humming, or singing—an antidote to our constant distractions.
Working mom Evandissa Cabral agrees that it feels like everyone’s brain is busy.
“Most of the time we don’t stop to take a breath, and it’s very beneficial to introduce dance to constantly help you slow down,” she says.
