Topic > Debunking Multitasking: A Quest for Efficiency

Samuel corrects this finding in his article by explaining, “Whether it's an overflowing inbox, a backlog of unread articles, or a faster-moving Twitter feed than we can read, most of us are suffering from information overload.” By having multiple programs open at the same time, such as a web browser, a word processor, and an email application, people overload themselves with too much information. and are therefore less efficient. Richtel explains how it has been scientifically proven that multitasking is less efficient by saying: “While many people say that multitasking makes them more productive, research shows the opposite and to ignore irrelevant information, scientists say, and causes more stress.” By selecting only one task to complete at a time, you can stop the information overload that causes loss of concentration and the ability to let go of unnecessary figures and programs. However, loss of concentration is not just the consequence of multitasking. A disorder, or as Sam Horn describes it, “. . . a distinctive type of brain organization,” called ADHD, causes strange behaviors such as restlessness in children and impatience in adults (Restak 413-414). Restak describes the involvement of ADHD in the workplace by stating, “To be successful in the workplace of today it is necessary to incorporate some elements of ADHD/ADHD” (416). Multitasking has made the above behaviors normal in the workplace, but the symptoms of ADHD or ADD can be limited by giving one person on one thing at a time. Although working on only one task at a time may seem less efficient at first, having to switch between programs may cause a loss of concentration due to the numerous distractions that such programs may bring..