The Millennial Report: To Multitask, or Not to Multitask?

Earlier today, while I was simultaneously monitoring my email, checking my phone for updates, writing an article and catching up with an old college friend, it suddenly hit me: Millennials excel at multitasking.  

The funny thing is, a situation like this isn’t strange for me—in fact, it’s so commonplace that it almost didn’t seem worth mentioning until I realized that, like most people my age, I’m constantly balancing multiple tasks at once, to the point where the idea of concentrating on one thing seems like a waste of time.

There are definite benefits to our innate ability to multitask, especially since this skill makes us the ideal candidates for working in a fast-paced environment such as the IT industry. While some of our Gen X colleagues are stuck answering email all day, we’ve successfully managed to clear our inbox while listening to music and chatting with friends via instant message.

But I’m here to argue that even though we may think we’re the best at multitasking, there’s a lot to be said for good old fashioned concentration, especially when dealing with the kind of complex subject matter we take for granted in the channel. Sure, many of us can effectively divide our time between multiple tasks, but should we be doing so? At what point does multitasking stop being effective and start becoming an issue?

There’s a fine line between effective multitasking and distraction, and as we all know from experience, it’s pretty easy to blur that line beyond recognition if you aren’t diligent. This is especially true in the IT industry, where we’re constantly expected to be forming new relationships with customers and employees while simultaneously working out the bits and bytes of the latest enterprise technology.

For people like myself, it’s important to take a step back every now and then and think about how slowing down can help you to be better at your job. A good way to manage your work is by creating an old-fashioned to-do list, with all of your tasks organized in order of importance. Sometimes simply writing down a list of all of your goals helps to structure your day, so you can tackle the big stuff before focusing on menial tasks. You can even integrate your to-do list into your calendar app and set reminders to keep yourself on track.

And although it may seem contrary to everything you believe in, it’s equally as important to put your phone someplace so you can’t constantly reach for it every minute to check your status updates or text with friends. Just like you shouldn’t take your phone to bed with you at night, you shouldn’t have your phone glued to your side at all times during the day either. Eliminate the biggest distraction in your life and you’ll be amazed at how much more productive you can be.

So the next time you catch yourself responding to an email while eating lunch and texting your roommate about meeting up for drinks, take a deep breath and prioritize what really needs to be done right now and what can wait until later. Not only will you feel less stressed, but you’re also likely to gain a profound sense of accomplishment once you start checking items off of your list.

The Millennial Report is a weekly column by associate editor Michael Cusanelli, who graduated from Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism in 2012. He is an avid gamer and movie buff who spends nearly as much time concocting the perfect mix tape as he does writing. You can find him on Twitter @MCusanelliSB.