Causes, effects, and practicalities of everyday multitasking

Everyday multitasking with electronic devices is common among all age groups, but the youngest generations of persons carry out the most everyday multitasking, especially in the form of media multitasking. Multitasking via technology in school settings or at home while studying is common for students. Both external factors (e.g., alerts from smartphones) and internal factors (e.g., thoughts about future online activities) influence multitasking prevalence. Although laboratory research has shown that performing concurrent tasks is subject to processing bottlenecks and to switch costs, real-life everyday multitasking is different from laboratory dual-task scenarios in several ways, including having more than two tasks involved, proceeding by interleaving tasks over extended periods of time, and allowing more flexibility in resource allocation and setting of priorities. Theoretically, everyday multitasking should be capable of achieving some processing efficiencies. Yet, empirical research shows that studying, doing homework, learning during lectures, learning from other sources, grades, and GPA likely are all negatively affected by concurrent multitasking with technology. Young people who frequently multitask compared with other young people may be poorer at ignoring irrelevant environmental information, but the effects of extreme multitasking on other cognitive outcomes are not clear-cut. There are strategies that people of all ages can use to minimize multitasking and reduce distractions when they are performing important tasks such as studying or doing homework.