Do You Multitask?

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
Human Multitasking


Do you do it? Do you think it's good?


I can't and will not multitask. If I am cooking and preparing a meal I can't hold a conversation, watch TV and answer the phone and do any one of these functions justice.
I think Human Multitasking is terribly inefficient and results in miss communication, gross errors and mistakes. Focus, focus, focus on the task at hand and get it done properly.


AGREE? DISAGREE
 

I still multi-task, and did it even more when I was younger and working. If it's just basic things, like preparing dinner with the TV on, it's not a problem. I'm not much of a phone talker, so if I'm using the phone, the room is quiet and that's all I'm doing. If it's something that does need special focus and attention, I will give it that devotion in order not to make a big mistake or ruin something. They say those who multi-task do none of the tasks well, that likely true much of the time.
 
My multitasking skills have dropped to zero. I have trouble microwaving some veggies while I'm broiling a piece of fish. I recently noticed that when I'm preparing a meal, instead of taking everything I need out at one time, I end up opening and closing the refrigerator door half a dozen time. I don't think human multitasking is inefficient when performed by competent multitasker. I just think that skill declines with age and in my case it's lost entirely.
 

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Of course.

Only today I watched television while having a cup of coffee.

My wife could do things like knitting and talking, but that's beyond me!
 
I can make toast while I fry an egg; boil water while washing dishes; drink coffee while on computer; talk on the phone while looking out the window; so many things. Not hard when you know how. LOL :D
 
I am terrible at multi-tasking. Always was.

I don't like to talk to another live passenger in the car while I'm driving. I do it to be polite, but
it's obvious to me I'm not as safe a driver.

I'm not even any good at multi-tasking large projects. Prefer one to be finished before starting the next.
Don't always have a choice, though.:(
 
oakapple said:
Yes, I do multitask all the time, think it's something all women can do but one thing men are poor at!:eek:nthego:
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I can recall sitting at a busy lunch counter once and the short order cook, a very large black man performed the most virtuoso performance of multitasking I've ever witnessed, taking orders cooking and serving fifteen customers simultaneously all while cheerfully conducting several parallel conversations ....oh, he also did the cash register thing. Not too shabby for a man.
 
that's simply an example of ONE man Josiah.All the men in my family are very poor at it, they do one thing at a time and need to concentrate, think it's yet another man/woman divide thing, but there will always be exceptions.
 
I'm terrible at multitasking, it frustrates me and makes me prone to mistakes.
In my opinion,multitasking is the cause of many horrible medical mistakes made in the US. It's another by-product of corporate greed.

I like to refer to myself as a monotasker.
 
I'm OK in the kitchen doing several functions because I tend to think of it as ONE Task not several, but will not answer the phone if it rings or try to watch the news on TV.
 
I still multitask all the time-moms just have to-but I have to admit it`s not as easy as it once was. I use to have no problem cooking with the kids all around but now I have to shoo them all out to get anything accomplished. I can still drive and carry on a discussion though.
 
I primarily multi-task, have since early childhood. With the exception of things like balancing my check book or using power tools.
 
oakapple said:
Yes Louis, surgeons should never multitask!;)
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Absolutely! My point exactly. :)

By my definition of the word multitasking, performing surgery would be one task. E.g. we wouldn't want her/him answering the office phones or filling order's for supplies during surgery.
 
oakapple said:
Yes, I do multitask all the time, think it's something all women can do but one thing men are poor at!:eek:nthego:
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I think it's because we HAVE to. I mean you can't tell a kid who's about to jump off the couch onto the dog to kindly wait till you've finished frying the chicken and turned off the dryer. And to get a Thanksgiving dinner ready all at the same time, you've got to do a lot of multitasking or else!

Also back when I was working I absolutely HAD to multitask, or I would never have gotten everything done -- i.e., check my e-mail while I was on hold on the phone and waiting for documents to finish scanning in.
 
I do sometimes, but I try not to. I'm definitely not the type to apply mascara, talk on the phone, sip a drink and drive at the same time. That's just looking for trouble and so many women I see on the road where I live do exactly that. Talk about accidents waiting to happen.
 
I read somewhere that the gender divide on multitasking evolved because men as the hunters needed to focus entirely on stalking the prey, meanwhile the woman back in the cave had to cook, clean and make sure the children didn't stray.
Like Josiah My few multi-tasking skills have deteriorated with age, I too visit the fridge several times when preparing a meal, sometimes not even sure why I am looking in the fridge :D

But there are plenty of evolutionary theories too - such as the hunter-gatherer hypothesis.This invokes a rather traditional image of women at home, cooking and tending to the infants, with men out doing so-called "linear" tasks such as chasing and killing prey.
"Put simply - if women couldn't multitask, we wouldn't be here," said Dr Stoet.
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Of course I multi-task..my goodness, I'm a past master at it.

My husband watches me in astonishment doing loads of things at once..and doing them well, something I've always been able to do ...he, like most men I know can only concentrate on one thing at a time.

I am very surprised at so many women on SF who can't multitask, I genuinely thought ALL women could do it. :)
 
At work I do like crazy. And I do mean crazy.

At home, no way. And as I tell the cats (and yes of coarse I talk to the cats) "at home we do what we want"

I do have the washer and dishwasher running at the same time sometimes. Not sure if that counts.
 
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