Posts Tagged ‘managing time in college’

Multitasking: Are You One of the 2%?

Categories: College Life

As efficient as we think we are with the ability to check our emails on our smartphones, while highlighting the important information in biology textbook, while listening to a football game on TV, a recent infographic, The Perils of Multitasking, provided by indicates that very few people truly benefit from this type of work. It’s true: the skill our grade school teachers had tried to instill in us, actually has the potential to lower IQ scores by 10 points!

According to the infographic, multitasking allows for individuals to feel as if they are accomplishing a lot all at once, when in reality, they are only being distracted and delayed from completing any number of tasks in the high quality and time frame it would take to focus on one.

Multitasking as a Student

Students who try to do multiple things at once will find their overall understanding of material and quality of work to diminish, both in class and while studying. Out of all the students who bring their laptops to a lecture, 62% of the web sites they visit will be completely unrelated to class. It is estimated that on average, students will generate 65 different screen windows per lecture! Those who send texts and messages while doing homework are more likely to identify themselves as academically impaired.

Why This Matters: When students are unable to focus on one activity at a time, their production goes down as much as 40%. Instead of saving time, time is being wasted.

Multitasking as an Employee

Students aren’t the only ones trying to get ahead by doing multiple things at once! According to the infographic, those who use a computer at work will be distracted every 10.5 minutes! Of all employees who have a smartphone, 89% of them admit to having used them at work, even though nearly half of all employees believe they have too many things they are trying to do at once as it is!

Why This Matters: It is estimated that with all of the distractions and interruptions that happen over a given workday, employers are losing over two hours from their employees everyday! That adds up to over 546 hours, or 68 days over the course of one year!

Multitasking in Your Personal Life

Would you believe that 67% of those who own a smartphone will admit to checking their texts and emails or surfing the web while they are on a date? Nearly half of all smartphone owners would check their phones at the movies, and while watching TV at home.

Why This Matters: You may be thinking, why does it matter if I multitask at home when it’s my own time that I don’t have to be held accountable for? Take a date for instance. How well are you really listening, or getting to know a person when you’re on your phone? How well are you really relaxing and enjoying a movie if you’re taking the time to email someone?


The Perils of Multitasking

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The Perils of Multitasking