On the impact of new technologies on multitasking

Interest in multitasking has risen substantially over the past decade, both in the scientific community and the population at large. Large-scale surveys show that multitasking has not only become ubiquitous among adults, but is also increasingly invading the lives of young children. New technological devices promote multitasking allowing for the consumption of multiple types of media at the same time. And while some have argued that such multitasking represents a potential boon to productivity, others have suggested that the growing habit of media multitasking may have adverse effects. To shed light on these pressing issues, we first review our present understanding of multitasking and the possibility of training individuals to more swiftly multitask in the laboratory setting. We then highlight the varieties of media use and how they may differ in terms of multitasking needs, to finally turn to research documenting the impact of selected media use on multitasking.