Media multitasking and comprehension: A review

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, many Anglo-Saxon studies in psychology have focused on the effects of digital technologies on learning, when they are used during study time in class or at home. Such uses have been called media multitasking. The purpose of this article is to report on these recent advances. Literature findings: Through a literature review of 46 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2020, we first report information's on learners’ uses demonstrating the prevalence of media multitasking and its effect on academic achievement. We then show that these uses can interfere with the retention of learning content, as well as with comprehension, under certain conditions and in a non-systematic way. Discussion–conclusion: Finally, we discuss some recommendations that can be drawn from these studies: considering technologies and including their uses during learning or limiting their uses, depending on educational choices.