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I often tell people that, too. Because they usually claim to be multitasking to be more efficient. But is this actually multitasking? When I did data entry, I

I often tell people that, too. Because they usually claim to be multitasking to be more efficient. But is this actually multitasking? When I did data entry, I could "read" forms and type them in while I listened to books on tape because I wasn't actually thinking about the data in the forms. How much cognitive load do the games take? Or the movies? Further, if this is a pleasant experience, who gives a damn whether or not it's multitasking or real multitasking or optimal behavior? It's supposed to be enjoyable, so if we're going to measure anything, measure that.

orev 5y ago
> because I wasn't actually thinking about the data in the forms Then that’s not a cognitive task, or at least one that requires the full brain. I would venture a guess that you might have been able to complete that task faster if you weren’t also listening to the books, or your error rate might have gone down. Or maybe you didn’t fully comprehend the books. Or maybe the material wasn’t too involved and missing some passages here and there didn’t make a difference. > who gives a damn whether or not it's multitasking or real multitasking or optimal behavior? Because attempting to multitask causes long term damage. One could say the same thing about drinking or drugs, and it’s clear that short term enjoyment can have negative long term effects.