Teenagers who divide their attention between devices such as their phones, video games, and the TV tend to have lower scores in math and English, new Canadian research has found.
The study, by the University of Toronto, also found that "media multitasking", which is using different forms of media at the same time -- for example having the television on in the background while texting on a smartphone -- is also linked with greater impulsivity and a poorer working memory.
The team believe that despite the growing rise in media multitasking in the last two decades, theirs is the first study to examine its effect on cognition, performance at school, and personality.
Researchers questioned 73 eighth grade students on how many hours per week they spent watching television or videos, listening to music, playing video games, reading print or electronic media, talking on the phone, using instant or text messaging, and creating crafts or writing.
Participants then rated how often they combined these activities with another activity.
The team assessed the students' school grades in math and English with previous test scores and also tested the participants on working memory, manual dexterity, vocabulary, and levels of 'grit,' conscientiousness and impulsiveness.
Overall the students reported exposure to a large amount of media, including watching around 12 hours of television per week.
Students tended to multitask between different media 25 percent of the time, with those who spent more time media multitasking performing worse academically than those who spent less time media multitasking.
Such students also performed worse on working memory tests, were often more impulsive, and also believed that their intelligence level could not be changed.
Amy S. Finn, one of the study's leaders, commented that a decrease in certain cognitive processes and an increase in impulsiveness has previously been found to be associated with both an increase in media multitasking and poorer academic performance.
However Finn also added that it is not yet clear whether media multitasking is causing the cognitive changes, and improving academic grades may not simply be a matter of regulating the amount of time teenagers spend watching television, playing video games or using their phones.
She advised future research with larger groups of participants to better understand the cause and effect relationship.
The research was published in Springer's journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
AFP RELAXNEWS
Fri May 20 2016
Having the television on in the background while texting on a smartphone has been linked with greater impulsivity and a poorer working memory.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab dari segi kemahiran dan keupayaan sosial.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya, seperti mahkamah syariah, pegawai penguatkuasa agama dan peguam syarie.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari bukti hari ini
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menggerakkan unit skuba (Unit Forensik) serta Unit Anjing Pengesan (K9) ke lokasi penemuan mayat Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah, 25, di Kampung Sri Kledang, Hulu Selangor, pagi esok.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Dewan Rakyat: Langkah meknoktahkan kemisikan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan hari ini
Langkah-langkah untuk meknoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah terutamanya di lapan daerah yang dikategorikan termiskin di Malaysia antara tumpuan persidangan Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Perisik Korea Utara berpaling tadah
Seorang diplomat Korea Utara berprofil tinggi yang ditempatkan di Cuba dikenali sebagai Ri II Kyu, 52 tahun, berpaling tadah ke Korea Selatan.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.