Multitasking, the act of doing more than one task at one time, can be both a help and a hindrance to human productivity. Its efficiency depends on the tasks being performed, the person performing them, and the depth of attention required for each task. Some tasks may be done more efficiently if focused on alone, while other tasks can be completed more quickly, and thus more efficiently, if done together. Multitasking often saves times, though the quality of work may suffer in some cases.
An example of multitasking can include watching an instructional or educational video while researching a similar topic in a book. A person might gain a surface knowledge of the main points of the video and the key ideas of the text while doing both at the same time. If done separately, however, the full concept and details of both the video and the text can be consumed, though it would likely take double the time. In the same vein, a multitasker may do both at the same time, and it could take longer as a result if the person does not want to lose content from either source and so rewinds or rereads.
Many experts have debated whether or not doing multiple tasks at the same time is efficient, and how it may limit or help human productivity. Many studies have proven that it will not produce as concentrated an understanding or efficiency of a subject or job as individual attention to the job. Even simple tasks performed at the same time may suffer from divided attention.
Partial attention in tasks that do not require intense participation, though, has been demonstrated as an efficient form of multitasking. In tasks that can be scanned or performed superficially, with only limited attention from the multitasker, efficiency will usually not suffer from divided attention. If a slow process requiring partial attention can be combined with another similar process, the two can realistically be combined and the results may not suffer. For example, a slow workout technique such as shoulder shrugs with dumbbells can be combined with another slow movement with a different part of the body, such as toe lifts, to save time without losing the efficiency of the muscle strain of both workouts.
Other types include computer multitasking, where a computer executes two tasks or actions simultaneously. In this process, the programs being run or downloaded may load more slowly, but because of the nature of a computer, which is different from the human brain, they are done completely and efficiently. In media multitasking, a person uses different forms of media together. This can involve using an MP3 player, a computer, a digital recorder, or a personal digital assistant, and it can be efficient in using the different tools for different forms of communication and information.