As someone with raging ADHD, multitasking is my worst enemy. In theory, it sounds great–get multiple things done at once, have less to do later. But research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is far less productive than doing a single task at a time. Additionally, electronic information strains this productivity even more.
To set the scene; I sat down to work on this journal entry and the very first thing I did was open up my sources. Next, I opened a Google Doc and clicked back to my sources to read through them. But instead of starting my reading and note-taking, I remembered that I hadn’t taken my daily medicine yet so I got off the couch and went to go do that. And while I was in the bathroom, I noticed how messy my area of the cabinet was and started to organize it. I finally came back to the couch, picked up my laptop, and realized that nearly half an hour had passed and I still hadn’t started my journal entry.
Multitasking reduces efficiency and performance because the brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When someone tries to do two things at once, the brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully. This makes sense–especially with ADHD brains like mine. I take stimulants like Adderall (prescribed!) that work by increasing my brain’s executive function, which is what helps my brain direct its focus when/where it’s needed. Sometimes, on days that I take my medicine and have a cup of coffee or an energy drink, I even feel hyper-focused on a task and find it difficult to multitask, or switch to another task even if I wanted to.
On days that I take breaks from my medicine, I recognize an increase in multitasking–or an attempt to, at least. Almost always it occurs when I’m using technology or scrolling on social media. I’ll switch between Twitter, TikTok, and texting my friends in the span of 10 minutes and while I’m engaging in different forms of communication, I’m sure it lessens the genuineness of these interactions. Still, despite how often I spend on social media, I feel like it doesn’t affect me to the extent where I become chronically online in my real life. I’m still able to write at a college-level and comprehend advanced texts in papers and class all while being able to use internet-slang and lingo on social media.
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