Multitasking Reconsidered

As a person who likes to juggle many projects, hobbies, and activities at once, I always assumed that multitasking was essential to keeping all the balls in the air.  Recent news reports have shaken my world view on multitasking.  

For example, a recent New York Times article states, "while multitasking may seem to be saving time, psychologists, neuroscientists and others are finding that it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us less efficient."  

An NPR story cites research showing that "people don't do lots of things simultaneously, instead we switch our attention from task to task extremely quickly."  This switching makes your brain work harder and can reduce your ability to learn and retain information.