--- description: Playing video games might make you a better multitasker title: Science Says This is a Fun Way You Can Get Better at Multitasking image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8188c9e2e8e69f78/698784bd5f570f7dc3b15dec/112303548-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Science Says This is a Fun Way You Can Get Better at Multitasking by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 24, 2015 4:01 AM CUT  Diagram of Computer Game Control Diagram of Computer Game ControlGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 24, 2015 4:01 AM CUT First, the bad news: your brain was never designed to [multitask well](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-the-rules-your-brain-works-by "undefined"): --- > “” --- Across the board multitasking [lowers productivity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-we-really-multitask-are-women-better-at-i "undefined"): --- > “” --- Neither gender is [better at it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-we-really-multitask-are-women-better-at-i "undefined"): --- > “” --- But if multitasking doesn’t work, why do we do it so often? [It makes us more emotionally satisfied, even if it makes us less productive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/if-multitasking-doesnt-work-why-do-we-do-it-s "undefined"): --- > “” --- So you’re probably going to keep doing it anyway. Is there any way to get the emotional boost and not have it reduce your productivity so much? Yes. Playing video games might makes you a better multitasker: --- > “” --- **Join over 161,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") [The 8 Things The Happiest People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/happiest-people/ "undefined") [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3754316/fun-way-better-multitasking/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3754316/fun-way-better-multitasking/"},"headline":"Science Says This is a Fun Way You Can Get Better at Multitasking","datePublished":"2015-03-24T04:01:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:17:31.218Z","description":"Playing video games might make you a better multitasker","url":"https://time.com/3754316/fun-way-better-multitasking/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8188c9e2e8e69f78/698784bd5f570f7dc3b15dec/112303548-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8188c9e2e8e69f78/698784bd5f570f7dc3b15dec/112303548-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"video-game-controller","caption":"video-game-controller","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3754316/fun-way-better-multitasking/","name":"Science Says This is a Fun Way You Can Get Better at Multitasking"}}]}] ```