May 14, 2013 | Second screen, To Developers, The Useful, Terenin
The Perils of Multitasking
People who multitask feel like they're actually cutting down their own productivity.
Studies show that only 2% of people can actually multitask effectively.
Technology is encouraging more & more fruitless multitasking.
89% of people with smartphone use them at work and even though 45% of U.S. workers already believe they have to work on too many things at once. And on average, employees who use a computer for work: are distracted once every 10,5 minutes.
Studies show that students multitask while they learn, too:
- 62% of web pages students open on their laptops during class are unrelated to the subject.
- And on average, they generate 65 new screen windows per lecture.
Even when people are relaxing, the urge to multitask takes over:
While average Americans watch TV:
- 42% - browse the internet
- 29% - talk on their phones
- 26% - text or IM
Smartphones make it hard not to multitask:
When it comes to checking email or the Internet via smartphones:
- 67% - will do so on a date
- 45% - will at the movie theatre
- 33% - will in church
You may feel like you're accomplishing more, but really...
Trying to focus on more than one thing causes a 40% drop in productivity.
- Students who do homework while Instant Messaging or texting are more likely to report academic impairment.
- Using a cell phone, handheld or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions: as much as having a BAC of .08%
Multitasking confuses your brain and slows things down: Concentrating on one task at a time will get the job done much faster.
Next time You're tempted to multitask, just say NO!