Human multitasking is often presented as a remarkable ability to effortlessly handle multiple tasks, yet scientific studies reveal a different picture. While we can indeed perform several tasks simultaneously, our brains process information in a serial manner, switching rapidly between tasks. This means that true parallelism, or the execution of multiple tasks without interference, is not possible. Instead, multitasking often leads to a decline in performance and an increase in errors, as our attention becomes divided and resources stretched thin. While some individuals may exhibit better multitasking skills than others, the limitations of our cognitive architecture impose inherent constraints on our ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Appreciating these constraints can help us optimize our productivity and effectiveness, focusing on one task at a time whenever possible to achieve the best results.
