Multitasking Makes You Less Productive

Parents are all about multitasking. It’s an inherent part of the job description -- on a typical night, we may make dinner, check email, referee a sibling fight, and keep an eye on the headlines announced on the evening news, all at the same time.

But all that multitasking may actually make you less productive, says a surprising new study. Researchers at Stanford University found that students who regularly juggle high-tech activities such as checking email and text messages, watching TV, and connecting to various websites while doing homework pay less attention, have trouble remembering what they’ve seen, and are less adept at switching from one task to another.

If your child is the type of kid who likes to do his homework while the TV or radio is on, it may be a good idea to break that habit now. Once he hits his tweens and teens and text messaging, emailing, and the Internet become a big part of his life, you’ll be glad you set up good homework and study habits early.

As for us parents, we may want to set an example and shut off the TV or computer when it’s dinnertime. Isn’t that what family time is about, anyway?