A Summary of the Multitasking Myth

When life becomes tumultuous, many individuals resort to multitasking, or what they believe is multitasking. Even in less drastic circumstances, people try to balance many things simultaneously. With family, hobbies, school, friends, and everything in between, adolescents resort to these methods too. The thing is: multitasking is a myth. According to the article, “Multicosts of Multitasking,” by Kevin Madore and Anthony Wagner, “...multitasking is almost always a misnomer, as the human mind and brain lack the architecture to perform two or more tasks simultaneously.” So, if the evidence opposes the pervasive belief about multitasking, why is the idea still around? For adolescents, this impression can be detrimental; however, there are ways to mitigate its effects. Today's analytical review will uncover: Why does this myth persist? How does multitasking impact adolescent reading comprehension? And what impact does it have on an adolescent’s long-term retention?

The illusion multitasking creates is simple: multitasking makes an individual more productive, which leads to accomplishments. As emphasized earlier, this is not accurate. A few things amplify this cause-and-effect or action-and-reward mentality in adolescents, including dopamine hits, peer pressure, and overinflated confidence. To start, dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain. As the Cleveland Clinic put it, “It plays a role as a ‘reward center’ and in many body functions, including memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention and more.” This function relates directly to the action-and-reward mentality from multitasking. When an adolescent accomplishes multiple goals in a short period, it feels rewarding; however, the tasks are not truly completed, as the brain cannot optimize results when multitasking. Unfortunately, the brain connects multitasking with accomplishment, which raises dopamine before adolescents understand its downsides. 

Peer pressure and overinflated confidence in one’s own abilities also complicate societal beliefs about multitasking. For example, in a competitive environment where everyone strives for excellence, a student may feel pressure to achieve as well. That internal dilemma can lead students to attempt multitasking as a last resort, even if it is not the best solution. Confidence—which comes from genetics, social environments, and experiences—also influences one’s opinion of multitasking. If an adolescent feels overly confident in their ability to perform multiple tasks at once, that confidence may lead them astray from what is truly beneficial.

With that basic understanding of why this myth persists, it is time to move on to two outcomes of it. First, multitasking lowers adolescents' reading comprehension. How? Well, another component needs to be addressed—phones. Globally, schools are creating anti-phone policies or allowing students access to their phones; there is no unanimous decision. For those who still have access to their cellular devices, an issue arises: phones are a massive distraction. This connects to multitasking because students are currently beginning to multitask their in-class work with their phones. In a study by Colter and Colin Norick, they determined that this multitasking has a dire effect on students’ reading comprehension. Specifically, “The results highlighted that when the students texted while taking the reading comprehension test they did 9% worse by a statistically significant amount, a confidence interval greater than 95 percent.” Statistically, 9% worse is a large enough difference to warrant professional concern, and with more data coming out, adolescents, parents, and teachers need to become more aware of this.

The consequences do not end there, though, as multitasking also affects adolescents’ long-term retention. Simply put, multitasking overloads the brain. In certain situations, the brain struggles to persist when a person attempts an unknown process; multitasking is one of those processes. Specifically, when multitasking, a person rapidly switches tasks, which strains the brain. Over time, this can be consequential, as stated by Dr. Jennifer E. Davis in her article “Multitasking and How It Affects Your Brain Health”: “This particularly affects our ability to focus our attention in general, even when we are not multitasking. Like a muscle, the brain can only work so hard before it is overworked, and gradually, this can become a serious issue.

While it may seem confounding and contradictory, multitasking is truly harmful to all humans. For adolescents in particular, establishing this distinction can benefit the future. Days do not need to be filled with simultaneous texting, emailing, homework, and more; finding balance and time for these tasks actually enhances outcomes.