The More the Merrier – or Not
Many people pride themselves on being multitaskers, performing several activities at a time. Scientists are not so sure this is wise.
“Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes,” says David Meyer, a cognitive scientist at the University of Michigan. “Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.”
In one Vanderbilt University study, participants given two simple tasks had a one second delay in responding to the second task. That doesn’t seem very important unless you are talking on your cellphone while you’re driving your car. Then a second’s delay could prove fatal. Neuroscientist Rene Marois says, “We are under the impression that we have this brain that can do more than it often can.” He now turns off his cellphone while driving.
Exercise reason – and caution – when you’re trying to do more than one thing at a time.
Commit your work to the Lord. (Proverbs 16:3)
