Your Brain On Multitasking — New Proof That It’s A Serious Problem!
It’s possible you’ve heard (and maybe even guessed intuitively) that multitasking is detrimental to your health and productivity, but data is beginning to indicate that it may be even worse than previously feared. Stanford University has conducted extensive research on multitasking, and the results are surprisingly bleak for serial multitaskers.
In the short term, individuals who multitasked experienced IQ test score drops that were consistent with what one might experience while using marijuana or with excessive sleep deprivation. In the longer term, research is beginning to show that frequent multitasking may actually be responsible for significant brain damage, causing a deterioration of the centers which control empathy and cognitive control! So, in the future, watch out! You may fancy yourself excellent at juggling tasks, but for the good of both yourself and those to whom you’re accountable, you might want to take it one thing at a time.