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601. Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?

Freakonomics Radio

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The Detrimental Effects of Multitasking on Attention and Stress

Recent research indicates a significant decline in attention span, averaging only 75 seconds, suggesting people struggle to maintain focus. This decline is linked to stress, with faster attention switching directly correlated to increased stress levels. Contrary to the belief that multitasking enhances productivity, it leads to more errors due to rapid task-switching. Additionally, multitasking incurs a 'switch cost,' which is the extra time required to adjust to new tasks. The cumulative effect of these factors illustrates that multitasking not only diminishes effectiveness but also heightens stress levels.

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