Media multitasking has become the norm, according to research into the latest media trends conducted by Ofcom.
The latest Ofcom report, released this week, shows that the average UK adult spends more than 11 hours on media activity every day. But because we're multitasking, this is fitted in to 8 hours 41 minutes.
Doing two or more media tasks at once, we text, email, talk, type and more.
Media multitasking is something that almost all adults now do on a regular basis, the analysis showed. Some 99% of adults said they did two or more media activities at the same time at some point during the week.
During more than half of the time we spend on phones, tablets and laptops, we are media multitasking, the research from the Ofcom Communications Market Report found.
Smartphones and landlines are the two devices we are most likely to multitask while using. For almost six in 10 minutes on these devices, we’re media multitasking.
And the things we're most likely to multitask while doing are sending a text or an email.
So what are the implications if you’re doing something else while you read this piece? Sending a quick text, or half-writing an email …
Is multitasking actually helping or hindering us?
While on the face of it, multitasking can make us feel like we are being more productive, the opposite is actually true.
Multitasking doesn't, in fact make us more productive. A classic study on multitasking was done by Clifford Nass and fellow researchers. They were expecting to uncover the benefits of multitasking, but in fact they found the opposite was true.
Sometimes, what we think of as multitasking, is in fact switch tasking, quickly shifting from one task, back to another, and back again to the first. As I discuss in my book, The Distraction Trap, although switch tasking feels efficient, it actually slows you down. When you switch task, your productivity goes down significantly.
So while we think we can watch TV and follow the plotline while we also browse social media, paying full attention to one thing at once gives us much better results.
Of course, there are many occasions in day-to-day life where we don’t need to worry about being particularly productive. But when it comes to the workplace and achieving results, multitasking (and thinking we can multitask) is causing a huge sap to our productivity.
When 100% attention has become too much to ask for, and too much to give, we need to start considering the implications. Not paying full attention can lead to errors, lack of productivity, and damage to communication and relationships.
The latest Ofcom findings provide interesting reading about the latest development in our behaviour with media devices. Before we simply accept media multitasking as the norm, it's a good time to remember and develop the art of focus.
The Ofcom Communications Market Report was based on research conducted among 1,982 adults aged 15 and over, and 800 children aged 6 to 15 in the UK.
Frances Booth is author of The Distraction Trap: How To Focus In A Digital World She provides advice on digital distraction and productivity to businesses and executives
