Association between youth media multitasking and working memory and attention: a meta-analysis_Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Authors：

LI Renjie ¹ ,  TAO Shuman ^2,3 , WU Xiaoyan ^1,3 , TAO Fangbiao ^1,3

1. Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China;
2. The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China;
3. MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei 230032, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

TAO Shuman, Email: shumantao@126.com

Keywords：

Adolescent; Media multitasking; Working memory; Attention; Systematic review; Meta-analysis; Cross-sectional study

DOI：

10.7507/1672-2531.202109094

Video：

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Objective To systematically review the effect of media multitasking on working memory and attention among adolescents. Methods CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, and EMbase databases were electronically searched to collect cross-sectional studies on the effect of media multitasking on working memory and attention among adolescents from inception to January 1^st, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies; then, meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 software. Results A total of 16 cross-sectional studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that there were negative correlations between media multitasking and working memory (Cohen's d=0.40, 95%CI 0.14 to 0.66, P＝0.003), as well as in attention (Cohen's d=1.02, 95%CI 0.58 to 1.47, P<0.001). Conclusion Current evidence shows that media multitasking has negative impact on working memory and attention. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are required to verify the above conclusion.

Citation： LI Renjie, TAO Shuman, WU Xiaoyan, TAO Fangbiao. Association between youth media multitasking and working memory and attention: a meta-analysis. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2022, 22(2): 196-201. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.202109094 Copy

1.	Moisala M, Salmela V, Hietajärvi L, et al. Media multitasking is associated with distractibility and increased prefrontal activity in adolescents and young adults. Neuroimage, 2016, 134: 113-121.
2.	Ophir E, Nass C, Wagner AD. Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2009, 106(37): 15583-15587.
3.	Soldatova G, Chigarkova S, Dreneva A. Features of media multitasking in school-age children. Behav Sci (Basel), 2019, 9(12): 130.
4.	Uncapher MR, K Thieu M, Wagner AD. Media multitasking and memory: differences in working memory and long-term memory. Psychon Bull Rev, 2016, 23(2): 483-490.
5.	Ralph BC, Thomson DR, Seli P, et al. Media multitasking and behavioral measures of sustained attention. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2015, 77(2): 390-401.
6.	曾宪涛, 刘慧, 陈曦, 等. Meta分析系列之四: 观察性研究的质量评价工具. 中国循证心血管医学杂志, 2012, 4(4): 297-299.
7.	熊风, 赖玉清, 涂嘉欣, 等. 中国老年人群睡眠障碍流行特征的Meta分析. 中国循证医学杂志, 2019, 19(4): 398-403.
8.	Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, et al. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods, 2007, 39(2): 175-191.
9.	Cain MS, Mitroff SR. Distractor filtering in media multitaskers. Perception, 2011, 40(10): 1183-1192.
10.	Lee J, Lin L, Robertson T. The impact of media multitasking on learning. Learn Media Technol, 2012, 37(1): 94-104.
11.	Minear M, Brasher F, McCurdy M, et al. Working memory, fluid intelligence, and impulsiveness in heavy media multitaskers. Psychon Bull Rev, 2013, 20(6): 1274-1281.
12.	Lim Y. Media multitasking predicts unitary versus splitting visual focal attention. J Cogn Psychol, 2013, 25(7): 889-902.
13.	Medeiros-Ward N, Watson JM, Strayer DL. On supertaskers and the neural basis of efficient multitasking. Psychon Bull Rev, 2015, 22(3): 876-883.
14.	Cardoso-Leite P, Kludt R, Vignola G, et al. Technology consumption and cognitive control: Contrasting action video game experience with media multitasking. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2016, 78(1): 218-241.
15.	Cain MS, Leonard JA, Gabrieli JD, et al. Media multitasking in adolescence. Psychon Bull Rev, 2016, 23(6): 1932-1941.
16.	Gorman TE, Green CS. Short-term mindfulness intervention reduces the negative attentional effects associated with heavy media multitasking. Sci Rep, 2016, 6: 24542.
17.	Wiradhany W, Nieuwenstein MR. Cognitive control in media multitaskers: two replication studies and a meta-analysis. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(8): 2620-2641.
18.	Pollard MA, Courage ML. Working memory capacity predicts effective multitasking. Comput Human Behav, 2017, 76: 450-462.
19.	Martín-Perpiñá MM, Viñas Poch F, Malo Cerrato S. Media multitasking impact in homework, executive function and academic performance in Spanish adolescents. Psicothema, 2019, 31(1): 81-87.
20.	İmren M, Tekman HG. The relationship between media multitasking, working memory and sustained attention. Social Sci Rev Faculty, 2019, 20(37): 1075-1100.
21.	Müller SM, Schiebener J, Brand M, et al. Decision-making, cognitive functions, impulsivity, and media multitasking expectancies in high versus low media multitaskers. Cogn Process, 2021, 22(4): 593-607.
22.	Spence A, Beasley K, Gravenkemper H, et al. Social media use while listening to new material negatively affects short-term memory in college students. Physiol Behav, 2020, 227: 113172.
23.	Twenge JM, Martin GN, Campbell WK. Decreases in psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012 and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology. Emotion, 2018, 18(6): 765-780.
24.	Ralph BC, Smilek D. Individual differences in media multitasking and performance on the n-back. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(2): 582-592.
25.	Edwards KS, Shin M. Media multitasking and implicit learning. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(5): 1535-1549.
26.	Sanbonmatsu DM, Strayer DL, Medeiros-Ward N, et al. Who multi-tasks and why. Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. PLoS One, 2013, 8(1): e54402.
27.	Alzahabi R, Becker MW. The association between media multitasking, task-switching, and dual-task performance. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform, 2013, 39(5): 1485-1495.
28.	Kobayashi K, Oishi N, Yoshimura S, et al. Relationship between media multitasking and functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network. Sci Rep, 2020, 10(1): 17992.
29.	Ralph BC, Thomson DR, Cheyne JA, et al. Media multitasking and failures of attention in everyday life. Psychol Res, 2014, 78(5): 661-669.
30.	Baumgartner SE, Weeda WD, Heijden LLVD, et al. The relationship between media multitasking and executive function in early adolescents. J Early Adolesc, 2014, 34(8): 1120-1144.

1. Moisala M, Salmela V, Hietajärvi L, et al. Media multitasking is associated with distractibility and increased prefrontal activity in adolescents and young adults. Neuroimage, 2016, 134: 113-121.
2. Ophir E, Nass C, Wagner AD. Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2009, 106(37): 15583-15587.
3. Soldatova G, Chigarkova S, Dreneva A. Features of media multitasking in school-age children. Behav Sci (Basel), 2019, 9(12): 130.
4. Uncapher MR, K Thieu M, Wagner AD. Media multitasking and memory: differences in working memory and long-term memory. Psychon Bull Rev, 2016, 23(2): 483-490.
5. Ralph BC, Thomson DR, Seli P, et al. Media multitasking and behavioral measures of sustained attention. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2015, 77(2): 390-401.
6. 曾宪涛, 刘慧, 陈曦, 等. Meta分析系列之四: 观察性研究的质量评价工具. 中国循证心血管医学杂志, 2012, 4(4): 297-299.
7. 熊风, 赖玉清, 涂嘉欣, 等. 中国老年人群睡眠障碍流行特征的Meta分析. 中国循证医学杂志, 2019, 19(4): 398-403.
8. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, et al. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods, 2007, 39(2): 175-191.
9. Cain MS, Mitroff SR. Distractor filtering in media multitaskers. Perception, 2011, 40(10): 1183-1192.
10. Lee J, Lin L, Robertson T. The impact of media multitasking on learning. Learn Media Technol, 2012, 37(1): 94-104.
11. Minear M, Brasher F, McCurdy M, et al. Working memory, fluid intelligence, and impulsiveness in heavy media multitaskers. Psychon Bull Rev, 2013, 20(6): 1274-1281.
12. Lim Y. Media multitasking predicts unitary versus splitting visual focal attention. J Cogn Psychol, 2013, 25(7): 889-902.
13. Medeiros-Ward N, Watson JM, Strayer DL. On supertaskers and the neural basis of efficient multitasking. Psychon Bull Rev, 2015, 22(3): 876-883.
14. Cardoso-Leite P, Kludt R, Vignola G, et al. Technology consumption and cognitive control: Contrasting action video game experience with media multitasking. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2016, 78(1): 218-241.
15. Cain MS, Leonard JA, Gabrieli JD, et al. Media multitasking in adolescence. Psychon Bull Rev, 2016, 23(6): 1932-1941.
16. Gorman TE, Green CS. Short-term mindfulness intervention reduces the negative attentional effects associated with heavy media multitasking. Sci Rep, 2016, 6: 24542.
17. Wiradhany W, Nieuwenstein MR. Cognitive control in media multitaskers: two replication studies and a meta-analysis. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(8): 2620-2641.
18. Pollard MA, Courage ML. Working memory capacity predicts effective multitasking. Comput Human Behav, 2017, 76: 450-462.
19. Martín-Perpiñá MM, Viñas Poch F, Malo Cerrato S. Media multitasking impact in homework, executive function and academic performance in Spanish adolescents. Psicothema, 2019, 31(1): 81-87.
20. İmren M, Tekman HG. The relationship between media multitasking, working memory and sustained attention. Social Sci Rev Faculty, 2019, 20(37): 1075-1100.
21. Müller SM, Schiebener J, Brand M, et al. Decision-making, cognitive functions, impulsivity, and media multitasking expectancies in high versus low media multitaskers. Cogn Process, 2021, 22(4): 593-607.
22. Spence A, Beasley K, Gravenkemper H, et al. Social media use while listening to new material negatively affects short-term memory in college students. Physiol Behav, 2020, 227: 113172.
23. Twenge JM, Martin GN, Campbell WK. Decreases in psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012 and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology. Emotion, 2018, 18(6): 765-780.
24. Ralph BC, Smilek D. Individual differences in media multitasking and performance on the n-back. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(2): 582-592.
25. Edwards KS, Shin M. Media multitasking and implicit learning. Atten Percept Psychophys, 2017, 79(5): 1535-1549.
26. Sanbonmatsu DM, Strayer DL, Medeiros-Ward N, et al. Who multi-tasks and why. Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. PLoS One, 2013, 8(1): e54402.
27. Alzahabi R, Becker MW. The association between media multitasking, task-switching, and dual-task performance. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform, 2013, 39(5): 1485-1495.
28. Kobayashi K, Oishi N, Yoshimura S, et al. Relationship between media multitasking and functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network. Sci Rep, 2020, 10(1): 17992.
29. Ralph BC, Thomson DR, Cheyne JA, et al. Media multitasking and failures of attention in everyday life. Psychol Res, 2014, 78(5): 661-669.
30. Baumgartner SE, Weeda WD, Heijden LLVD, et al. The relationship between media multitasking and executive function in early adolescents. J Early Adolesc, 2014, 34(8): 1120-1144.

Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Association between youth media multitasking and working memory and attention: a meta-analysis

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