The typology of multitasking activity

In: European journal of communication, Band 30, Heft 2, S. 209-225

Abstract

Results produced by researches in recent years prove that communicational and media consumption habits of people living in today's 'age of information' are defined to a great extent by multitasking which, alongside juvenile generations, is increasingly common in adult society. Surveys dealing with the phenomenon of multitasking are typically focused on the growing role of parallel activities and their effect on cognitive functions. In connection with the subject, in my research, I try to enquire into the widespread and expanding phenomenon of media multitasking during media consumption, in relation to types of activity. My efforts concentrate on two of the latter areas, recreational and resource-enhancing activities. I attempt to determine the extent of the presence of multitasking in certain activities and the role of the aim and nature of activities entering the sphere of multitasking.