Two experts explain why staying focused, especially in our modern world, can be so hard.
Articles on Multitasking
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Despite being a central concept in the digital age, mental workload remains difficult to define and study in real-life situations.
Doing two things at the same time isn’t always as productive, healthy or safe as focusing on one thing at a time.
We often feel drained of energy after a long day of work or study. Here’s how we measure what’s going on in our brain.
With most social media users logging in at least once a day, and one-third of teens using these apps almost constantly, it raises the issue of whether social media is hurting our attention abilities.
With the proliferation of social media platforms, smart devices and apps, the demands on our attention have never been greater. But how is this affecting our ability to process and retain information?
Neuroscientists have typically thought of energy supply to the brain as demand-based. A supply-limited view offers another perspective toward aging and why multitasking can be difficult.
Has COVID rendered concepts such as “work-life conflict” or “work-life balance” redundant?
Maybe we need new ways to describe and navigate the new pandemic reality.
Analysis of 46 studies indicates that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the long-term impacts of digital device use on cognition.
As remote work continues through the pandemic, workers are experiencing burnout and fatigue brought on by excessive periods of time spent online.
A study compared students’ performance in schools that had banned mobiles and schools that hadn’t. They found students who weren’t allowed to use mobile phones in class had higher test scores.
You’re not as good as blocking out distractions as you think you are.
The myth that women are superior multitaskers has just been busted. So, let’s divide work in and out of the home so women aren’t left running themselves ragged.
‘Heavy’ media multitaskers performed worse on attention and memory tests – and some even had structural brain differences.
Multitasking may not be what you think it is and it might not even help you be more productive if you choose to do the wrong things at the same time.
Workplace productivity is about more than fancy gadgets. It’s about taking care of your body and mind, even away from work.
The recent women’s marches were a reminder that equality in parenting has a long way to go.
In men and older women, a complicated thinking test appeared to overwhelm the part of the brain also responsible for moving one of their arms. They could only do one or the other.
Laptops in class are distracting – even for the most motivated students.
It’s all down to what’s called your working memory.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University
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Neurosurgical Resident, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, University of Zurich
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Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University
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Loughborough University
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Professor of Psychology, Edith Cowan University
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Professor of Human Sciences and Psychology; Faculty Associate of the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University
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Researcher, Spinal Cord Injury Centre, University of Zurich
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Penn State
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Professor, Institute of Cognitive Science, Carleton University
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Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University
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Assistant Professor of Practice, Peter F. Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University
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John Rennie Short is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Postdoctoral researcher, Bournemouth University
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Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience, Brunel University of London
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Professor of Management, University of Wollongong