Nagpur: In this age of multitasking, forgetting things isn’t uncommon: whether it is about paying bills, remembering where the keys are, or missing out on a few groceries while shopping. Experts term this as ‘information overload’ and ‘brain overburdening’.These terms are slang rather than a clinical diagnosis, says Dr Abha Bang Soni, a psychiatrist from the city. “We find these quite common among adolescents. They try to manage several things such as their social media profiles as well as real life friends and studies at the same time. The mind seems to be preoccupied with things that were not there earlier,” the doctor says.Research has proven that it’s a myth that multitaskers are better at their job. “Multitasking reduces efficiency of both men and women. It is better to serially task,” says Dr Bang Soni and adds, “You might feel proud about it but after some time, it might deplete your reserves. In the long run, it can lead to anxiety, depression and even strain your relationships.”Another psychiatrist from the city, Dr Vivek Kirpekar, says several adults find it hard to concentrate on one thing due to over-exposure to television, Internet and chatting platforms like WhatsApp. “The brain gets confused about which information is important. The capacity to retain information becomes less, one becomes more irritable and thinking starts to get slower,” he says.“Brain over-burdening is caused due to attention deficiency, brain fatigue, lack of exercise and sleep,” Dr Kirpekar adds.While there is not enough evidence to state whether multitasking causes memory loss in the long run, experts concede it may have a possible impact.Physical activity is decreasing among children due to onslaught of video games and mobile phones. “Today’s education system has also changed. Earlier, we used to write long answers which required many cognitive processes. Today, things have simplified, so one doesn’t have to exercise the brain,” says Dr Kirpekar“I feel poor”, say several adolescent patients who approach psychiatrist Dr Shruti Kala. “The need to constantly upgrade themselves and find out what’s new, leading to less focus on relevant information. When one cannot catch up with the wave, it leads to self-doubt and self-esteem issues,” she says, adding, it can make a person a poor-decision maker.Psychotherapy is required to treat patients at times, says Dr Kala.“Our brain is not programmed for multi-factorial tasks, which makes us forget certain things. Underlying depression may lead to negative thoughts. It does not allow things to be encoded in the brain,” says psychiatrist Dr Anand Saoji, associate professor at IGMCH. “Today’s children are hyper-active but lack in concentration,” he says.

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