Why do media users multitask?: Motives for general, medium-specific, and content-specific types of multitasking

•We examined users’ motives for general, medium-specific, and content-specific multitasking.•The key motives were information, social, enjoyment, efficiency, and habit.•General multitasking was predicted by information, efficiency, and habit.•Medium specific and content specific types of multitasking were predicted by various different motives.

This study examined the major motives for multitasking, and how those motives are related to general, medium-specific, and content-specific types of multitasking. The major motives for multitasking identified in this study are as follows: information, social, enjoyment, efficiency, and habit. Of these motives, general multitasking behavior was predicted by information, efficiency, and habit. In terms of medium-specific types of multitasking, TV-based multitasking was predicted by habit motive, Internet-based multitasking was predicted by information and enjoyment, and mobile-based multitasking was predicted by information motives. In terms of content-specific multitasking, news-related multitasking was predicted by information motives, entertainment-related multitasking was predicted by information and enjoyment motives, and advertising-related multitasking was predicted by information and social motives.