Chances are as you’re reading this, it appears courtesy of a collage of open tabs on your computer — and whether you know it or not, experts say that’s stressing you out.
Researchers with Aalto University in Finland found that one in four internet users are “overwhelmed” by the “clutter” atop their computer screens.
“We began exploring which challenges make users feel overwhelmed when browsing the internet. We also mapped the behaviors that cause the clutter and how users react to the stress,” associate professor Janne Lindqvist noted in a press release.
We’re all guilty of leaving tabs open after we’ve used them, and while the axiom says “geniuses are rarely tidy,” it’s not good for your brain.
Lindqvist expresses, “People easily forget what they were looking for. Our concentration lapses when interesting things appear on screen, and then we start following links and collecting tabs.”
Further, multitasking is at the root of the problem — like when you’re chatting with colleagues in one tab, friends with another or ordering GrubHub with a third.
Lindqvist explains, “It’s as though a kitchen table were being used as a dining table, a desk for older children’s homework, and a play table for the youngest – all at the same time and without any tidying.”
Making matters worse, the experts found, using tools to try to organize your tabs can, well, make matters worse. “These approaches are similar to someone not actually cleaning but just rearranging things in the same space – the problem doesn’t go away,” Lindqvist notes.
Instead, make a conscious effort to limit how many tabs you have open. Start by closing this one when you’re done reading.