Multitasking is often presented as a skill everyone should have. At school, at home, and online, we are encouraged to do several things at once - listen to music while studying, check messages during lessons, or switch between apps every few seconds. Many adults even say that young people are “naturally good” at multitasking because we grew up with technology. As youth fact-checkers, we wanted to see if this idea is actually true.
This topic matters because multitasking feels productive, but feeling productive is not the same as being productive. Since multitasking is part of our everyday digital life, understanding how it really affects learning, focus, and mental health is important for young people.
We fact-checked multitasking because it is often praised without evidence. Teachers, employers, and even social media posts suggest that doing many things at once saves time and improves performance. We wanted to know whether science supports this belief or whether multitasking is another example of something that sounds smart but doesn’t work the way people think it does.
Research shows that what we call “multitasking” is usually task switching, not doing multiple tasks at the same time. The brain rapidly switches attention from one task to another, and each switch has a cost. Studies in psychology and neuroscience show that this constant switching can reduce concentration, increase mistakes, and slow down overall performance.
When multitasking involves learning - such as studying while scrolling on social media - research consistently shows poorer memory and understanding. Even when people believe they are good at multitasking, studies suggest they are often less accurate in judging their own performance. This is especially important for young people, because learning and attention skills are still developing.
That said, not all multitasking is the same. Simple or automatic tasks (like walking while listening to music) usually don’t cause problems. The negative effects appear mainly when two tasks require attention and thinking at the same time, such as writing an assignment while replying to messages.
Overall, the idea that multitasking makes us more efficient is misleading. In many cases, it actually makes tasks take longer and reduces quality.
What we learned:
We learned that being busy is not the same as being focused. Multitasking often makes us feel productive, but science shows it usually works against us—especially when we are learning something new. This fact-check helped us understand why concentrating on one thing at a time can actually save time and reduce stress. It also made us more aware of our own digital habits and how often we switch tasks without noticing.
Evidence:
- American Psychological Association. (2023). Multitasking: Switching costs. https://www.apa.org
- Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903620106
- Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Smith, J., & Smith, J. (2011). The distracted student. Educational Psychology, 31(6), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2011.572527
- Stanford University. (2020). Media multitasking and attention. https://news.stanford.edu
