Do you multitask? Is your intelligence decreasing?

MisterF

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Something for the weekend;

Scientist Harold Pashler showed that when people do two cognitive tasks at once, their cognitive capacity can drop from that of a Harvard MBA to that of an 8-year-old.

According to a study at the University of Sussex, constant multitasking actually damages your brain. They found that people who regularly multitask have lower brain density in the region of their brain responsible for empathy, cognitive control and emotional control.

Finally, a study done at the University of London found that constant emailing and text-messaging reduces mental capability up to 15 points on an IQ test. This negative effect is similar to missing a night's sleep. And nearly three times more than the effect of smoking pot.


Code:
https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killing-your-brain.html

Code:
https://www.talentsmart.com/articles/Multitasking-Damages-Your-Brain-and-Your-Career,-New-Studies-Suggest-2102500909-p-1.html
 
Something for the weekend;

Scientist Harold Pashler showed that when people do two cognitive tasks at once, their cognitive capacity can drop from that of a Harvard MBA to that of an 8-year-old.

According to a study at the University of Sussex, constant multitasking actually damages your brain. They found that people who regularly multitask have lower brain density in the region of their brain responsible for empathy, cognitive control and emotional control.

Finally, a study done at the University of London found that constant emailing and text-messaging reduces mental capability up to 15 points on an IQ test. This negative effect is similar to missing a night's sleep. And nearly three times more than the effect of smoking pot.


Code:
https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killing-your-brain.html

Code:
https://www.talentsmart.com/articles/Multitasking-Damages-Your-Brain-and-Your-Career,-New-Studies-Suggest-2102500909-p-1.html
I guess everyone knows that when you work on something for some time, you get into a certain mind state that makes you brain work in an optimal manner for that particular task you're working on. And switching to another task takes time because your brain requires some time to get into another optimal state. So I guess it is not really a big surprise here. At the same time, I guess that over time, multitasking itself can become a regular task for your brain, so you will become efficient at that too.
 
I multitask a lot of projects at the same time (multiple computers sharing keyboard and mouse with Synergy, currently 4), sometimes i feel stupid and like a kid after doing it for hours 24-36 and i am mind lost when i go doing something else (driving car, speaking to someone) like i am lost in a maze or something, so there is something true in this.
 
This made me realize I suck at multitasking :oops:
 
As I read this, I started thinking about those day traders, juiced up on inhumane amounts of caffeine, simultaneously watching 20 monitors, with news channels playing in the backgrounds of 3 large, flat-screen television sets behind the monitors, as they shout commands at candlestick charts, hoping their voice may somehow be heard by all the bulls and the bears of the world.

Is it wrong my takeaway from this was I can smoke pot if I stop replying to text messages?
That's the best time to reply to text messages.

And switching to another task takes time because your brain requires some time to get into another optimal state.
This switch is the part that gets me. I'm playing around with Python or Javascript and I'm 2 hours into the zone and then I receive an unfortunate call from someone in my personal life, where the person is saying something like, "hey, so I just made a website using Wix. Can you take a look at it for me and help me decide if [blah, blah, blah]......"
It's at this point where my brain sputters into a place that I don't like visiting and I have to struggle to get out.

It's sometimes unfortunate to be known as "the computer guy" of your family.
 
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My cognitive capacity was already that of an 8-year-old. I multitask my work, home jobs, family, and sticking pencils in my ears every day I am not sure what my capa....

Oooh, a squirrel!
 
It must be true, but still, I love multi-tasking.
Just like people love smoking pot :D
 
As I read this, I started thinking about those day traders, juiced up on inhumane amounts of caffeine, simultaneously watching 20 monitors, with news channels playing in the backgrounds of 3 large, flat-screen television sets behind the monitors, as they shout commands at candlestick charts, hoping their voice may somehow be heard by all the bulls and the bears of the world.


That's the best time to reply to text messages.


This switch is the part that gets me. I'm playing around with Python or Javascript and I'm 2 hours into the zone and then I receive an unfortunate call from someone in my personal life, where the person is saying something like, "hey, so I just made a website using Wix. Can you take a look at it for me and help me decide if [blah, blah, blah]......"
It's at this point where my brain sputters into a place that I don't like visiting and I have to struggle to get out.

It's sometimes unfortunate to be known as "the computer guy" of your family.

That's why I started putting my phone on airplane mode while working. People will text me or call me over the most random stuff.

Don't they know I'm trying to be a internet millionaire!
 
Very interesting! It sounds logic. I think everyone have been that "flow" when you are hyper focused and get a lot of high quality work done quickly.

That never happened to me when I've been multitasking. At least that I can think of. Multitasking mostly means that I risk missing details and can't go into depth, in general.

I can't really afford losing any IQ points, so I will stop multitasking now ;-)
 
None of this matters because we don't have free will.
458px-Brain_Activity_Before_Voluntary_Action.jpg

The brain unconsciously commits to a decision before consciousness awareness.
 
That's why I started putting my phone on airplane mode while working. People will text me or call me over the most random stuff.

Don't they know I'm trying to be a internet millionaire!
They don't know that ! But we all do ;)

And for the OP, I personally don't know how to multitask, but I can refocus on my task almost immediately if something interupted my focus.
I can exactly recall what I was going to say, write or do.
 
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