Are you a Supertasker?
Research shows 2% of people can effectively multitask — does this describe you?
We’re addicted to multitasking. We do it professionally, balancing work against social media, firing out near-instant email responses and tracking the latest catastrophe in minute-by-minute news updates. We do it in our downtime, streaming The Office while we cook, tidying as we go, balancing childcare with messaging friends and colleagues across multiple WhatsApp groups.
What’s more, we’re good at it. Or at least we think we are.
By this point, most people know that multitasking usually isn’t a good idea. We’ve long had access to studies that link multitasking to diminished performance. There’s this study, a bunch listed here, some more here, and a few more here.
Yet, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that I’m different. Sure, perhaps most people can’t multitask well, but surely not everyone is bad at it? Then again, maybe this is just a cognitive bias, similar to most people rating themselves as above average drivers?
I suspect many of us would like to think we’re the exception to the rule — we can multitask productively.
With this in mind, I was excited to discover the concept of the Supertasker — individuals who…
