Why can’t I listen to music and chat at the same time? Is it because I’m stupid?

Audit expert: Yin Tielun

Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Airport Branch, Peking University Third Hospital

Have you ever encountered such a question: brushing teeth for 3 minutes, washing face for 2 minutes, boiling water for 5 minutes, how many minutes do you need to complete these tasks? I believe that most of my friends can quickly answer: 5 minutes, just brush teeth and wash face while boiling water. Yes, this way of making full use of time is often seen in our daily life, such as eating while watching TV, or listening to music while doing homework.

Source | pixabay

However, some friends may find that you may be able to complete your homework while listening to a favorite song, but it is obviously difficult to complete homework for two subjects at the same time. Or, if you listen to two songs at the same time, even the most beautiful music will turn into noise in an instant. What is going on with these phenomena?

Let me first state the conclusion: the inability to enjoy two songs at the same time has to do with the way our brain works.

1. The brain runs in a single thread

First of all, we know that the functions of the cerebral cortex can be simply divided into many different areas, such as the motor area, sensory area, speech area, etc. Each area "has its own duties" and together guides our activities.

Source | pixabay

American neurologist Earl Miller discovered through brain scans of volunteers that even if there are many visible objects in front of them, only one or two can actually cause a reaction in the brain ; in addition, American researchers have found that when the human brain processes information, it can only maintain attention on up to four different things , and it cannot handle the fifth one.

The secret was revealed when researchers used X-rays to observe brain activity. It turns out that when two pieces of information are mixed together, the prefrontal cortex of the brain begins to play an important role. However, it does not guarantee that the two pieces of information are processed at the same time, but in a sequential order . However, when the brain processes information at a very fast switching speed , we will have the illusion of "processing multiple pieces of information at the same time."

Therefore, from the perspective of the brain, there is actually no such thing as "multitasking". Therefore, this approach is not conducive to improving learning and work efficiency.

2. Multitasking can be dangerous

Someone has done an experiment, asking 20 junior high school students to complete three types of learning tasks, simple memory, reading comprehension and problem solving, with and without music background, and analyzing their learning through brain waves. The final results show that pop music with lyrics has no promoting effect on the three learning tasks . Now we know that not only does it not promote, but this behavior also has many harmful effects.

>>>> Distractions are dangerous

At a time when cars are becoming more popular, distracted driving has become a major cause of car accidents. Experimental data show that 25%-30% of traffic accidents are caused by distracted driving . When drivers are distracted, they cannot concentrate and their perception of the environment decreases, making it impossible to effectively identify dangerous information on the road, which increases the probability of accidents. When you are distracted by another thing, you will definitely not be as focused on what you were supposed to do. In certain scenarios, this is likely to put you in danger.

>>>> Harm to health

Some friends like to eat some "electronic pickled mustard tuber" while eating. If they don't find a suitable variety show, sometimes they simply can't eat. For such friends, your stomach can be said to be crying without tears.

When we eat, not only our hands and mouths are moving, but our digestive system also starts to work: food enters the digestive tract, is broken down into easily absorbed nutrients by various enzymes in the stomach, intestines and other digestive organs, and then absorbed into the blood through the abundant capillaries in the gastrointestinal tract. If we watch TV, read books, or think while eating, on the one hand, it will reduce our gastrointestinal motility and be detrimental to digestion; on the other hand, a large amount of blood will be supplied to the brain, which directly affects the blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract . Over time, it will also affect gastrointestinal function and even lead to gastrointestinal diseases.

>>>> Damage to mental health

Since the operating logic of "multitasking" relies on the rapid switching of brain work, it will burden the brain over time and even cause a series of mental problems. Australian behavioral scientist Dr. Alan Keane believes that "multitasking" is an important factor in the spread of mania. He believes that this will lead to a long-term increase in stress hormone indicators in the human body , making us more prone to aggression and impulsiveness, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

>>>> Affects adolescent development

For teenagers, the longer they multitask, the worse their ability to stay focused becomes. Doing homework while watching TV can send harmful information to the brain, which can affect intellectual development and even lead to autism and learning disabilities. Some neuroscientists believe that multitasking can affect the development of the brain's nervous system in the long term. As the nervous system's ability declines, people's ability to maintain interpersonal relationships and social interactions cannot be fully developed, which seriously affects the growth of teenagers.

Seeing this, some friends will say, I do my homework every day while listening to music, and I don’t feel that my efficiency is low. I have also seen news before that a foreign professor “knits while running a marathon”. What’s going on? Don’t worry, let me explain it to you.

Source | Screenshot of People's Daily website

3 Easy Ways to Multitask

In fact, when you do homework while listening to songs, your brain listens to songs for a while and then does homework for a while. Once you concentrate on solving the problem, your brain will automatically ignore the music and immerse yourself in thinking. Often at this time, you can't feel what the song is singing. Running and knitting at the same time is easier to explain: running is not a sport that requires too much brain power, it only requires muscle memory and cerebellum drive, so the professor only needs to concentrate on knitting.

Therefore, friends should try not to "multitask". After all, "concentration" is the key to maximizing efficiency!