Multitasking . Task switching . Adolescent behavior . Digital technology. Attention

The centrality of multitasking in teenagers’ lives has triggered vast interest in popular and academic discussion. Due to a large inconsistency in the study and multitasking reporting, we endeavoured to better understand and characterize multitasking behaviors. We researched multitasking patterns, prevalence, types, combinations and gender differences of adolescents using observations, in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The results showed a large variety of multitasking prevalence and types that we categorized as simultaneous multitasking and task switching. Most of the observed multitasking was actually task switching with a higher frequency of multitasking during leisure than during study time. An interesting finding is a connection between the natures of tasks: passive, active or incidental and the multitasking type. We demonstrated that most multitasking involved combinations of music, texting or activities on social networks, but seldom combining video games. Gender differences in multitasking were also observed, especially with regard to the nature of the task combinations.

Findings in both the observations and the questionnaires show a varied picture as to the prevalence of multitasking during computer sessions (Ettinger & Cohen, 2020). While most of the subjects report that they often or very often multitask, others multitask very seldom or not at all. The observations also showed a variety of the number of tasks performed during each minute of the observations. Another result was the difference between multitasking behavior during leisure or more focused computer sessions, such as while studying. In this respect, it was interesting to compare the two observations of Oren, one during study time and another at leisure time. This comparison shows that the prevalence of multitasking and the number of combined tasks were much higher during leisure than while studying. Findings show that music together with texting or surfing in social media platforms are the most common multitasking combinations. Watching television is also often performed with reading and writing textmessages. Activities on Facebook are also frequently done together with other tasks. In contrast, playing video games is seldom combined with other tasks, as are listening to music together with watching television. there was found was that high prevalence of music in adolescent multitasking, reflecting the special relationship that teenagers have with music. the results indicate that there is a relationship between the type of multitasking and the combined tasks. The findings show that when an active task is combined with a passive task, we will observe simultaneous multitasking such as listening to music (passive) and surfing on Facebook (active). When combining incidental and active tasks we will observe task-switching, such as answering a phone call while playing a video game. When two active tasks are combined, such as surfing the internet and texting, we will also observe task-switching. The information derived from our questionnaire showed significant differences between task combination of girls and boys. Girls reported combining social networks, texting, watching television and listening to music more than boys, and the boys reported combining tasks with video games more than girls.