Have you ever heard someone tell you that they’re very good at multitasking? Maybe they like to read books while they watch television or use their cellphone while they drive the car. Maybe they always have music on when they are at work. They believe that they can do multiple things at one time, and they actually believe that they’re good at it.
But the truth is that multitasking itself is a myth. If someone tells you they can do it, that is not actually what they’re doing – even though they honestly believe they are. Instead, they’re forcing their brain to switch back and forth between tasks. Your brain cannot do two things at once. It can just jump back and forth quickly from one thing to the other.
You do a worse job with both tasks
The problem with multitasking is that you may accomplish two tasks, but you will typically do a worse job at both of them. The brain is only concentrating on one thing at a time, so you’ll make errors in the opposite area if you are trying to do them concurrently.
An example of this is if a driver is talking on the phone and doesn’t notice traffic slowing down ahead of them. They are using all of their cognitive power to concentrate on the conversation, while just watching traffic out of their peripheral vision. Their brain doesn’t make all of the connections as quickly as it would if they were honestly just watching the road.
Unfortunately, drivers who multitask cause serious car accidents every day. If you have suffered injuries in an accident caused by one of these drivers, make sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
