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In this fast paced era, we are required to be able to work quickly, carefully and intelligently. Term multitasking Of course we have often heard about it and at the office. In fact, many people think multitasking as a skill or advantages to be proud of.
Unfortunately, multitasking this turns out to be bad for our brains. Especially when we are busy with laptops, tablets, or smartphone us while watching TV with our family. As written on NationalGeographic.co.id , To do multitasking while using gadget can damage the performance of our brains.
Multitasking with gadgets is the worst
A study conducted by researchers from University of Copenhagen , Denmark shows that shifting focus from one screen to another causes the brain to store less information. Not only that, hormones that interfere with the thought process will be released, which in turn can reduce your intelligence.
The researchers made the research by asking the respondents to use smartphone or their tablet while watching TV. They feel activity multitasking this makes them more productive and efficient. However, the results of his research indicated that only a few could remember what programs they saw on TV.
In another study conducted at the University of London, England, respondents who were also tested had a drop in IQ similar to the effect of staying up late at night. The decline in IQ alone reached 15 points for men.
“ Multitasking can be done as long as someone is still strong to do several activities simultaneously. But if he already finds it difficult to do several activities at the same time, it can stress him out. Usually when a person is doing several activities simultaneously, he doesn't really feel like he is in the moment. These moments will just pass by as a result of us not being able to focus, "said psychologist Bernadetta Anjani, M.Psi, Psi to Hi-Online.com .
Back again to the researchers in Copenhagen earlier, they explained, when you focus on one activity at a time, the brain will absorb and store it in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, so that it is easy to recall later.
However, when you shift your attention from one place to another, such as using a tablet or smartphone at the same time as watching TV, information cannot be processed quickly. The information we absorb later will instead be sent to a part of the brain called the striatum, which is the part responsible for planning movement and motivation, not data. Researchers also warn that sending information to the striatum will make the brain store information in the wrong place.
What are the consequences for the brain?
Based on the description above, the consequences caused by multitasking is you could suffer from long term memory impairment. Research finds that multitasking related to technology can reduce the performance of the brain in controlling muscles to self-control. You can also suffer from disturbances in sensory perception, speech, and even emotions.
Not only that, the Danish study also stated that more than 80% of people have smartphone feel guilty when checking it, when the screen of other devices is already in front of them.
If you often do multitasking and then you feel like there is something wrong with your ability to capture information or remember, you should immediately consult a doctor.
It would be better if you also reduce your time in front of computer screens, TV, and smartphone, or at least set aside specific time to focus on each gadget without doing anything else on different screens.
Quoted from Health , when we do multitasking , we're missing an important detail of one of the jobs that's being done. But even distracting from other jobs to focus on other jobs is enough to distract from our short memories, according to research conducted by the University of California San Francisco in 2011.
The researchers say that in a study involving a number of participants, people aged 60-80 years had difficulty selecting and remembering different image details than those in their 20-30s.
They will be given two pictures, but one of them will not be able to remember the exact details. As the brain ages, researchers say it will take time for a person to get back to recognizing and remembering the details of a job.