Do you multitask??

Philippines
August 28, 2009 10:01am CST
I came with this question because our professor shared with us an article that talks about multitasking..I thought at first that multitasking is just fine but then after he read the article to us, I found out that it was really bad..According to the research, this will not make you focus on things..Instead, you will divide you attention in what you doing..The result is a not so good output.. Before i read that, I multitask all the time,especially online..I will go to another site while the other site is running..I will listen to songs while i am reading my lessons..I will surf the net while i am texting..Even if I know already that multitasking is bad..I still can't resist on doing that because I have so many things to do..If i do this one at a time,I will not be able to make it to the deadline especially the school works..I know it's bad but i can't do a single task at a time..How about you, do you multitask??What do you think of multitasking,good or bad??
17 responses
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
28 Aug 09
I frequently multitask and I have found that occasionally I have problems with it. For example when I am typing something and listening to music the lyrics of the song will occasionally pop up in what I am typing. If I am trying to talk on the phone and surf the internet I will miss something that the person on the phone has said. When I was working it would even slow down my productivity. However, as much as I have tried to break this habit, I've been doing it for so long that I can't seem to break it.
@anangf (1146)
• Indonesia
28 Aug 09
I think this is normal, and everyone can have situations as you do depend on how much it influence the main job and the second . And at least we have something in common...
@kb5000 (110)
• United States
28 Aug 09
i multitask on the computer a lot. i would have multiple tabs open at once. could be watching a movie and playing games at the same time. unfortunately with multitask, your full brain power is not devoted to the tasks so your performance is less than it would if you just did one thing. it prob takes longer to do things.
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
we are also the same..multitasking i think is not my passion because i can't do several things at the same time..
• Hong Kong
28 Aug 09
i think i multitask wisely. If my HWK was creative and do not need much attention, i listen to music while i do it, if its like studying for a test i go to my desk and study with my other HWK piled up. Soometimes multitasking can makes things even slower like when you are doing your maths homework and IMing at the same time, our attention will slip and spend 5 minutes on Maths HWK and half an hour on IM.
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
When i do my home works,i am like you..I listen to music or i surf the net while doing it..But when i do this, i don't fully understand what the lesson is all about..
@marguicha (215346)
• Chile
28 Aug 09
When I was younger I guess I did about 10 things at the same time. The wonder was that none of them got scrambled. At school, I would listen to music and sing with the singer in English while reading my history book in Spanish. It worked as I was one of the first in my class and I still knew all those songs. Maybe my automatic pilot was in good shape then. Now that I´m older (64) I must do one or at the most two tasks at the same time. My memory is not what it was and I forget that I put potatoes to boil until I smell baked potatoes.. That happens usually while I´m mylotting or playing canasta. I think each of us knows how much one can do. I knew when I had to start making a list before going to the supermarket. The worst is to accept that age brings limitations. But you finally reach that goal too. Happy day!!!
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
Wow i think you have a very good memory when you were younger..You were very lucky at that time..Well, i think the "amnesia" thing when people get older is just normal because their brain already worked very hard for the past years of their life..It is just the time for the brain to relax itself..But that's just a guess..:)..My brain is very overused i think that is why i don't do multitask very well..
• United States
28 Aug 09
I think some people can multi-task and others cannot. It depends on our makeup. I also think that there are some things that need our undivided attention period! I also heard that no one can really do two things at one time because the brain is not really capable of doing such. for me, if one thing is going slow I can't stand to just sit I feel I must do something productive!
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
I think you are right..Others can do multitasking while others can not..maybe it really depends on the capability of the brain to do several things at the same time..
@cloudi (330)
28 Aug 09
I do multitask all the time. I think that the key to doing things well whilst multitasking is not to flit between things too quickly. I have never had a problem when multitasking the only thing is that you need to concentrate on what is before you and not the thing that is not.
• Philippines
28 Aug 09
The problem with mw when it comes to multitasking is that i don't produce the best output that i do..I know i can do better than that if i don't multitask that's why as much as possible i don't do such..thanks for the response!!
@marctiu (829)
• Philippines
28 Aug 09
Multitasking is good in a sense you can make your job in a fast manner and you have the total focus in doing the activity very well. In Nursing, multitasking is very common. Since we have so much to do and have less time what we do is do multitasking. It needs a great mastery of course. You can't master it overnight but once you get use to it you'll do just fine. Training yourself to do multitasking is one way of mastering it. If your handling a very delicate job don't do multitasking because there is a large chance that you won't get the job done right. The chance of failing is so high.
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
Maybe studying i think is a very delicate job because when i multitask when i am studying,I don't get the point of what i am reading or reviewing..But as much as possible i don't want to multitask but i can't resist on doing multitasking because of the demands of my school works..How can i improve my multitasking skills??
@silverglint (2000)
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
I always multi-task too. So often, my computer screen is filled with so many windows that I fear that my computer would hang. I think it's very common for people to multi-tasking because of the our fast-paced living. I never thought of it as a bad think, I actually thought that multi-tasking is an advantage since I am able to finish several things at the same time. I didn't think that the output of the tasks I do would be different if I should decide to focus on one task at a time. Maybe I should give that a try once in a while hehehe
@sameroad (3179)
• United States
29 Aug 09
I multitask all the time. without even knowing i'm doing it sometimes lol i could see how it may be bad sometimes for somethings but i don't think it's bad for everything. not everything you do really needs your "full" attention. like if your listening to music and messing around online. neither one of those really need your full attention. your not able to hurt yourself. in less your filling out something important and mess up because your getting way into your music. lol but yeah. it has its good and bad sides.
@seekers (393)
4 Sep 09
I also multitask specially when in the computer. The reason we usually multitask is because we want to maximize our time. 24 hours is not enough for all the task we want to accomplish in a span of time. Specially if you are working online, there are lots of websites we have to manage. So, it is a challenge to manage multitasking. If you will be able to multitask well, productivity is high. But if you feeling exhausted at the end and you think you have not accomplished the expected output, better start checking on how you do things or how you manage your time. Is it better if you do it one at a time? You can list down all your tasks and identify which requires more time say how many % of your time is needed, then focus to it. While you can do the tasks with less requirements simultaneously.
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
i do love the adrenaline rush when you do multitasking plus when its all over its kinnda fullfilling
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
29 Aug 09
I don't think I could function without multi-tasking. My mind is quick quick and like a little bird, flitting from one thing to another. If I have to force it to do one thing only (listen in university lectures for example) then it just gets bored and falls asleep. In lectures if I wasn't writing things down then I couldn't listen to what was being said, and it is the same on-line. If I don't have several tabs open at the same time, even if they are all mylot, I can't concentrate on something because my mind just won't manage it because my concentration isn't keen enough. I definitely understand how it could be dangerous though. One thing I worry about is learning to drive sometime in the future, because that needs a person to concentrate and with the way I am I don't think I would exactly be safe in control of a car. Oh well! I think multi-tasking is good over all just as long as we continue to use it wisely :) Dranz
@Gladia (36)
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
It's good to multitask. It has a lot of advantages like it can save you time. But for me, I prefer doing things one at a time. That way, I can concentrate and do things right. When I do multitasking, I tend to do many mistakes and forget tasks I should be doing at that time.
@killer04 (282)
• Australia
29 Aug 09
I multitask. I leave it for things that do not require a high level of concentration. For example I surf multiple sites at the same time. I can check my e-mails and my Neobux stats at the same time. However for more complex tasks, I do not multitask. I give it all of my attention so as not to make any mistakes.
• United States
29 Aug 09
I multi task all the time! With 3 children and one on the way, there is never enough time in the day for the stuff that needs done. So I will load the dishwasher, prepare meals(I wash my hands of course) while spouting off chores to my kids. Sometimes I will even be downloading things on the internet, litening to music and talking on the phone while I am doing all of this. Come to think of it, no more actually gets done, in fact, less gets done then when my "one project at a time" husband is busy around here. Im sure I will continue to do it just because the small amount of satisfaction I get in believing that I am super mommy if only in the kitchen!
@patofgold23 (5069)
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
multitask is my middle name! lolz that is what I do every single day of my life. I am a mother, i am doing writing jobs..I do the chores.. and now, I am doing the laundry and doing myLotting in between.. time is too precious to waste and soend on one thing alone. itis better to maximize it. it does feel good to have acomplshed a lot at the end of the day.
• Philippines
28 Aug 09
Yes I do multitasking whenever I'm using a computer, for me, it really isn't bad to do multitasking as long as you can take it without affecting your efficiency in finishing whatever your working with. I usually listen to music while having 3 windows having at least 4-6 tabs each and downloading movies at the same time.
28 Aug 09
well if you work it out everyone multitasks, even while your sleeping, as your sleeping and your mind is going at the same time, when you walk, you move your left and right leg