The relationship between media multitasking and attention: a three-level meta-analysis

Media multitasking, defined as the concurrent or rapid switching between multiple tasks, with at least one involving media use, has become increasingly prevalent in daily life. Research has suggested a possible correlation between media multitasking and attention. Nonetheless, the supporting evidence remains inconsistent. This study utilized a three-level meta-analysis, following PRISMA guidelines, to systematically explore this association and examine potential moderating factors. The analysis included 33 studies involving 36,861 participants and yielded 110 effect sizes. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between media multitasking and attention (r = 0.19, p < 0.001; a positive effect size indicates that greater levels of media multitasking are associated with poorer attention). Furthermore, this relationship was moderated by type of attention measurement, but was not by gender, culture, publication year, publication status, and type of media multitasking measurement. This study makes a theoretical contribution by offering a provisional conclusion regarding the relationship between media multitasking and attention, while also providing practical insights for the prevention and intervention of attention problems in the digital age.