Published on behalf of Ishrak Ramzan, UC San Diego Chapter
If you are a college student, a working professional, or really anyone who has responsibilities due before a certain date, then what I am about to describe is likely something familiar to you. You are up late at night, working on something you probably put off for longer than you should have, and now you are scrambling to get it done. Maybe you have your favorite album playing in the background, or episodes of your favorite sit-com cued up on the streaming platform of your choice. On the side, your phone might be lying next to you and waiting for you to eventually take a break to surf the web or scroll through social media. In recent years, many have touted the wonders of multitasking, and college students in particular love to do this. But is multitasking truly as beneficial as we like to believe?
A number of studies have explored the relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Notably, data shows that frequent multitasking is associated with lower GPAs. In traditional systems of higher education, information is taught from instructors to students through lectures: specific, information-dense periods of time when one needs to be attentive to absorb information efficiently. Usually, students listen carefully, take notes, or participate in classroom discussions. However, when one switches their focus to a different task, a phenomenon called “task-set inertia” occurs, impeding one’s ability to learn. For example, after switching attention from lecture to social media, one tends to linger on social media when trying to return one’s attention back to lecture. By the time one does, one probably missed a significant chunk of lecture material, requiring more time to be spent to catch up on those classes.
Research also suggests that multitasking has negative effects on one’s memory. A recent study in Nature looked at memory failure and its correlation with attention lapsing and media multitasking. Specifically, media multitasking is studied by employing an inventory that estimates the number of different media an individual engages with during an hour to quantify the subjects’ level of media multitasking. During memory retrieval, several different complex neurological and cognitive processes work in unison to access memory. In their study, the authors were able to show that “heavier [media multitasking] is associated with worse episodic memory” because media multitasking increases the likelihood of experiencing lapses in attention. Media multitasking is a phenomenon especially prevalent among adolescents and, unfortunately, has been shown to have a variety of negative effects on youth. Research supports the scattered-attention hypothesis; media multitasking is negatively related to cognitive processes such as sustained attention and other aspects of cognitive control. In addition, for youths, media multitasking is associated with negative emotions such as feelings of depression, anxiousness, and alienation, as well as sleep disorders.
In short, while it may seem tempting in the moment to multitask, extensive cognitive research suggests that multitasking is not an efficient practice. Studies have clearly shown that multitasking can produce negative effects on memory, grades, sleep, and a number of other cognitive processes. So, the next time you are in a busy lecture or working through a problem set, maybe put aside your phone until you are done. After all, they will still be there once you are finished.
