What does multi-tasking mean, and what are and are not some examples of it?

Doing more than one thing at the same time.

Used in the context of computers, it means when the computer performs two tasks at the same time, often meaning there are multiple processors doing different tasks at the same time For example, in a program I just wrote, if you press the Save Changes button, it starts a task that does the work to save those changes, while another task continues to let you do other things.

Used in the context of people, it means doing any two or more things at the same time. For Example, talking to someone while making coffee.

Oh, another example: writing this answer, while posting the program I just mentioned to a virtual store online.

Computers with eight cores (read brains) can multi-task, ever person I know ONLY has one brain. People that “multi-task” don’t get something done because they drop the ball !!

I must disagree. Before my head injury I could multitask like crazy. I could balance my budget for the week while talking on the phone and solve the Wheel of Fortune puzzle while contestants are still guessing wrong letters.
“Door’s open, come on in! Your car keys are on the window sill over there. Sandy’s on the phone, wanna say hi?” “It’s Linda. She came for her car keys because I was designated driver last night.” “Sandy says hi.”

Now I can’t single task effectively half the time.

We have only one brain, but it has two sides, and several compartments, and can multitask well if you teach it to.

But not everyone can multitask, I just inherently cannot. I even struggle with cooking because of the amount of math your brain gotta do darting this way and that in the kitchen to reach multiple cabinets while also keeping up with the tutorial and at the same time making sure the sauce doesn’t overcook in the pot while you’re flipping the steaks in the pan because you almost burnt them trying to decide whether or not the salt in the sauce was fine…
If something needs multitasking, I’m pretty slow paced. I do feel people who multitask are very smart.
There are also pseudo-multitaskers (a term I’ve just coined while writing this answer lol). These are people who are effective leaders (some I’ve worked with), whose biggest talent is delegating tasks to other people, that they later take credit for and are labelled the stars of multitasking and flex about how they “only sleep four hours a day and are always there to help out their subordinates on top of everything else that needs to get done on a tight schedule”.

What is the definition of multitasking? I had a psych professor tell us that very few people are capable of genuinely multitasking. For example, hold a phone to your ear while making a pot of coffee. Both behaviors I’m sure you have done hundreds, if not thousands, of times. That is not genuinely multitasking because your subconscious mind has control both of holding the phone and of making the coffee. To truly multitask, you need to be able to focus 100% of your mind and effort on more than one task simultaneously that haven’t yet been processed into your subconsciousness.

For example. Genuine multitasking could probably be described as you safely piloting an airplane in its cockpit in turbulent weather whilst also safely and remotely piloting a helicopter in turbulent weather without using auto-pilot or any pilot augmentation systems. To illustrate how ridiculously complex it would be to pilot two aircraft through bad weather safely and simultaneously, I took the following quote from, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/stability-augmentation, “Stability augmentation- Assuming a simple pitch damping stability augmentation system and, with the aid of root locus plots, design values for pitch rate feedback gain Kq in order to achieve a short-period mode damping ratio of about 0.5~0.7 for each of the four flight conditions. Calculate the closed-loop state equations and hence obtain the response transfer functions for the augmented aircraft. Tabulate the closed-loop longitudinal stability modes characteristics for each of the four flight conditions. Produce response time histories which best show the stability modes dynamics for the augmented aircraft. It is most helpful if the response time histories for the previous tasks are plotted on the same axes for comparison purposes.”

If you take that stability augmentation system out of the loop, you’re the one who has to make those adjustments based on your instruments, the sounds of the aircraft, the feeling of your body in the seat or against your restraints. Sounding like multi-tasking is still possible? Not so much. You might be able to do that with one aircraft, but two or more? Not likely to succeed in either aircraft and live to talk about it. Can you do two separate tasks simultaneously like talk and fly? Sure. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be able to do that with a little practice. But that isn’t multi-tasking because that isn’t drawing from the same centers in your brain in order to execute the tasks.

Almost no one who has ever lived is genuinely capable of multi-tasking. If you are, I would like to meet you because my hat’s off for you!

@croberts119 but what if i can’t listen and write at the same time? Making notes in class was such a challenge. The smart girls in my class could do it easily.

Everyone is capable of multitasking, because a lot of functions and actions are controlled by the brain’s non-nonscious subsystems, like walking, breathing, blinking, etc.

@Nuggetmunch, that is tricky, especially if you write slow.
If you are noticing how others are taking notes,you are multitasking, but without control over what tasks get your focus. That means with practice asserting control, you will eventually improve. Until then, have a discussion with your instructor. Ask if you can audio record classes, and explain why. Sit as near the front as you can.
Learn to understand buzz words. For instance, “the first pactosaur fossil was discovered in 1992. Since then, they have been found in 11 countries.”
Write pact 1992, 11 country’s.
That is enough to jog your memory later on what was said. Also, notice I misspelled a word. Spelling doesn’t count in notes. You can spell things however works best for you to get it on paper. However, if a long complicated word comes up, ask the instructor to repeat the word, and spell it for you. You can use that few seconds of distraction to catch up.
Find whatever tricks work for you, and practice. You will get better at it. Use the news, or a favorite tv show for practice. Record, but also take notes. Later compare your notes with the recording.

My freshman year in college my mom decided she wanted to attend.she took one of my classes! I was mortified. She took killer notes though, so I doodled during class, and used her notes.
It didn’t help me a bit. I learned the material, but didn’t improve my note taking. I improved that during my other classes, where I didn’t have her to rely on.