Introduction
Have you ever read a job posting that proudly lists multitasking as a must-have skill?
Or, closer to home, have you ever felt that constant pressure at work to juggle multiple tasks and competing priorities, all at the same time?
We are living in a frenetic world where everything seems to have been due yesterday.
A world where meetings follow one another without pause, where there is barely time to breathe, and yet expectations keep rising. We are still expected to perform, to deliver, and to excel.
So how do we cope? We multitask.
We go with the flow. And some of us, perhaps the bravest among us, even add “strong multitasking skills” to our résumés, hoping to impress a recruiter who is looking for exactly that.
But let me ask you this: is multitasking truly a skill worth developing?
My friend, let me say this plainly: there is no such thing as a true multitasker. You cannot become an expert in multitasking. And I am going to tell you why.
What does the research tell us?
1. The negative effects
Although there are dissenting voices, most peer-reviewed research on multitasking points in the same direction: multitasking is generally harmful to our cognitive abilities.
Studies on media multitasking (for example, studying while checking messages or scrolling on a phone) show consistent negative effects.
A paper published in 2017 found that media multitasking is associated with diminished working memory, reduced sustained attention, and poorer learning outcomes (Uncapher et al., 2017).
Similarly, a systematic review of 46 studies found that digital multitasking is often linked to reduced comprehension and weaker retention of information.
While the magnitude of the effect varies by context, the overall pattern is remarkably consistent: doing more at once usually means learning less, retaining less, and accomplishing less.
2. The neutral and positive effects
Now, to be fair, context matters. The effects of multitasking depend on the difficulty and cognitive demands of the tasks involved. In some situations, multitasking can be neutral, or even mildly beneficial.
For example, when I am doing routine domestic chores, I often listen to an audiobook, a podcast, or a TED Talk. These activities do not compete for the same mental resources, so I experience no real cognitive disruption.
But imagine this instead: watching a Netflix episode while writing a school essay. In that case, both tasks demand attention, language processing, and working memory. They compete for the same cognitive resources, and performance in at least one of them inevitably suffers.
This distinction is also reflected in workplace research. A large 2025 systematic review of 123 studies published between 2004 and 2024 found that workplace multitasking produces mixed outcomes. Most often, it impairs cognitive, emotional, and behavioral performance; but in some situations, it can lead to performance gains, depending on contextual, personal, and resource-related factors (Yang, 2025).
In other words, multitasking is not a superpower. It is a trade-off.
3. Where do I stand?
I used to try to do everything at once, and I often failed at many things. Now, I focus on the crucial few.
For projects that require real cognitive effort, I actively avoid multitasking. I do this to protect my attention, reduce unnecessary stress, and avoid unnecessary failure.
As the proverb wisely reminds us: “He who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
This week, I will advance my to-do list one task at a time. And I will try to change the world one project at a time. As a result, I believe I will experience higher performance, greater success, and, quite simply, more joy.
Conclusion
The image of the successful multitasker is, for the most part, a myth.
While some findings are nuanced, the weight of the evidence points in a clear direction: multitasking is generally associated with reduced cognitive capacity, lower performance, and higher stress.
So, believe me or not, multitasking is not the badge of excellence we often imagine it to be. As the saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Perhaps, then, the real question is not how many things we can do at once, but which one deserves our full attention now. This week, choose one important task, give it your full focus, and see what changes.
References
Uncapher, M. R., & al. (2017). Media multitasking and cognitive, psychological, neural, and learning differences. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl. 2), S62–S66. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1758D
Shin, M., Webb, A., & Kemps, E. (2019). Media multitasking, impulsivity and dual task ability. Computers in Human Behavior, 92, 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.018
Alzahabi, R., Becker, M. W., & Hambrick, D. Z. (2017). Investigating the relationship between media multitasking and processes involved in task-switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 43(11), 1872–1894. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000412
Adler, R. F., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2015). The effects of task difficulty and multitasking on performance. Interacting with Computers, 27(4), 430–439. https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwu005
Workplace multitasking: A systematic review on theories, definitions, antecedents, consequences, and a future research agenda. European Review of Applied Psychology published online 31 December 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2024.101052