The High Price of Multitasking

The High Price of Multitasking
Author’s Name
The Institutional Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Instructor Name
Assignment Due Date
The High Price of Multitasking
1. Introduction
Multitasking has become a common phenomenon today, primarily with the advent of technology and gadgets. People multitask to overcome boredom, save time or improve efficiency, but it does more harm than good. Smartphones have ruined individuals' concentration, which quickly causes distraction and induces multitasking (Willlingham, 2019). A common misconception is that multitasking is an efficient way of getting more work done in less time. The human brain can rarely perform two cognitive tasks simultaneously. Multitasking causes gaps in our thinking process. It certainly reduces efficiency. The human mind has one cognitive process, so attempting two different tasks using the same mental process is unjustified. It will either lower the efficiency or cause damage. However, two or more tasks can be performed simultaneously where the brain is used only for one task, but it undeniably trades the attention (Aagaard, 2018). The article examines multitasking, its impact on human functioning, and the principles a person can follow to multitask more efficiently and help create a balance while performing two tasks simultaneously.
The nature of human intelligence is shaped in a way that they can perform many tasks at the same time. However, there is a difference between intelligence and intellect, which is often misunderstood. Human intellect utilizes the person's thought process. The thought process can work in one dimension. You will not be as effective and productive without dividing your thought process. Multitasking requires the human mind to perform two different tasks simultaneously. Willingham (2019) considers it difficult and damaging because a person uses one mental process to achieve two different things that are mostly incompatible. Distracted driving is one of the best situations to analyze multitasking. The use of a phone while driving is risky and accepted widely. It is often contended that using hands for driving and mobile makes it more dangerous. Some would argue that texting while driving is harmful while talking on the phone can be managed using hands-free. However, the issue is not using a hand-held phone while driving; it uses the brain for two different tasks. Mobile phones and driving are both cognitively demanding, which makes them unsafe. The primary issue is switching attention from one task to another, challenging yet compromising. It also reduces efficiency due to the transfer of attention between both tasks. The shift of thoughts harms the brain and cognitive process even more.
Multitasking can rarely yield the same results as those who perform one task at a time. According to Willingham (2019), walking while listening to music increases the chance of an accident. Although a person is performing two different tasks, the attention is divided. This split of attention lowers the brain's focus, which increases the chance of accidents on the road compa...