What are the risks and negative effects of multitasking?

In a society in which more and more is expected of us, a greater ability to mix private life and work and a greater predisposition to be constantly adapting to technological and social changes, it is not surprising that many people feel that they do not they supply Today it seems that even sitting down to eat as a family is a waste of time, that the best and most Efficient is to snack on something in front of the computer while reading the news or making notes on the diary; something similar happens with the moments to sleep and rest, which become more and more time blocks on the agenda.

The idea that throughout the day we have to attend to several fronts at the same time, squeeze our physical and mental capacities to combine the performance of tasks and thus encompass more in everything that we make. Multitasking, the ability to do two or more things at the same time, seems to be the wild card that we pull over and over again to try to achieve everything we have set out to do. But… Is this a viable way to deal with our problems and our responsibilities?

The answer is complex, because although it is true that in certain circumstances we can learn to perform two different types of actions at the same time, In many cases, multitasking is harmful and works against us. Let's see why.

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What is multitasking?

What in psychology and cognitive sciences in general is understood by multitasking is the ability to divide attention into several focuses to attend to various tasks at the same time. It is an innate ability that the vast majority of human beings have as a result of the mental flexibility that characterizes our species.

However, it has its limitations and it has not been designed by evolution to make us perfectly capable of doing more than two things at once; After all, our mental abilities are based on the functioning of the brain, and the brain is not omnipotent; he is constrained by the amount of material resources at his disposal and the time he is given to work.

So the key is to know that even though we can multitask to some extent, this way of behaving is only useful in certain situations and has drawbacks that we should be aware of.

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The negative aspects of multitasking

These are the main risks and negative effects of multitasking.

1. It can make it harder for us to fall asleep

When doing several things at the same time, what is really happening in our brain is that several networks of neurons are activated at the same time. At the same time, something that keeps our nervous system working overtime, so it stays more active than usual. normal. Therefore, if we multitask in a sustained manner for a significant period, our neurons will readjust their rhythms of activity and will remain alert even when we have stopped attending to these tasks, since the degree of nervous activity does not usually change radically in a matter of a few minutes. And this can be a problem if bedtime is close. In other words: we will go to bed with a more active brain than normal, something that gives rise to problems falling asleep.

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2. It is less efficient

As a general rule, when we divide our attention between several tasks at the same time, we put less care in the execution of each one; that is why practically no one can do complex actions with each hand at the same time, such as writing and painting. The harder it is for us to do something, the more attention it requires, and when we master it a lot, we are able to do it almost without thinking about it; nevertheless, we will almost always be better at what we can devote our full attention to. Therefore, when we go to multitasking, we are slower and the results tend to be worse.

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3. stresses us

When we do two actions at the same time and one or more than one is very monotonous, there usually comes a point where we have to make decisions; In this sense, it has been seen that arriving at the moment of choosing between several options having the Divided attention creates stress in us very quickly, something that is not only unpleasant, but harms our emotional balance and it makes us more easily “blocked” without knowing what to do.

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4. makes us more irritable

If doing two things at once is already intense, having other people interfere with it is even more uncomfortable. For this reason, hostile or passive-aggressive reactions are more common when we are involved in multitasking, since dFrom our point of view, someone talking to us or asking us something is an obstacle or something that makes us lose track of what we were doing (and in which we have invested a lot of effort).

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance?

If you are interested in having psychological support from a professional, I invite you to contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am an expert psychologist in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model, with which I help adults, adolescents and companies. I can assist you in person in Madrid or online through video call sessions.