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Dr Susan Kenyon

The prevalence of multitasking and the influence of Internet use thereon Reshaping everyday life? The impact of new technologies on citizens’ time IPPR, London 21 November 2006. Dr Susan Kenyon. Overview. What is multitasking… and why does it matter? Multitasking and Internet use

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Dr Susan Kenyon

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  1. The prevalence of multitasking and the influence of Internet use thereonReshaping everyday life? The impact of new technologies on citizens’ time IPPR, London 21 November 2006 Dr Susan Kenyon

  2. Overview • What is multitasking… and why does it matter? • Multitasking and Internet use • Two datasets: • Methodology • Sample • Results: diary study • Results: questionnaire survey • Discussion: the implications of the findings • Future research direction • These data • Future studies – appropriate methods

  3. What is multitasking – and why does it matter? • ‘Multitasking is the simultaneous conduct of two or more activities, during a given time period.’ • Implications of multitasking for: • Definitions of time • Understanding of time use • Time use methodologies – and analysis

  4. Why might Internet use influence time use? • From ‘clock time’ to ‘real time’ to ‘network time’ • Real time – Castells – the death of clock time? • Network time – Hassan – no longer governed by the rule and pace of clock time – return to task time? • Time use – what is being substituted? • Focus on social effects and effects for transport • Polarisation – Internet good, Internet bad • Time-space compression – the death of distance? • Hagerstrand – time space prisms • Kwan – ‘time-space convergence is literally complete’; activities are ‘placeless and timeless’ • But what about multitasking?

  5. Why might Internet use influence multitasking? • Preconditions for multitasking: • Spatial co-presence • Temporal co-presence • Influence of Internet upon multitasking: • Reducing locational dependence – in space and time • Continuity of engagement – the fragmentation of activities • Active/cognitive attention http://www.zonneheem.be/images/Dienstverlening/Grocery%20Shopping.gif, viewed 17/07/06

  6. Hypothesis Internet use will lead to greater multitasking, because of the greater ability to multitask when we are online …with attendant implications for our understanding of the impacts of Internet use upon activity participation and time use.

  7. One study, two datasets: the ‘accessibility diary’ • Sample: • 96 participants; 3 waves, six months apart • Theoretical sampling: income, Internet experience, location, transport mode

  8. One study, two datasets: national questionnaire survey • Sample: • 1000, demographically representative of GB weekly Internet users aged 16+ • BUT more Internet experience and spend longer online • Influence of multitasking upon decision to conduct activities online/offline • Can you multitask more online than offline? • Qualitative responses – text box

  9. Results: diary study (1) • Multitasking is very common for this sample - +7.2 hours/day • BUT high degree of variation • What are people doing with this time? • Increases perception of time spent in all activities by 1 - 194% • Not randomly distributed across activity types • 60% increase in time spent online

  10. Results: diary study (2) • Different activities more amenable to having activities appended • Tendency to multitask influenced by primary activity: • Online activities more likely to be multitasked than offline activities • Type of secondary activity influenced by primary activity

  11. Results: questionnaire • Ability to multitask influences Internet use • Between 33 and 52% of participants say that the ability to multitask influences their decision to participate in key activities online, rather than offline • People can multitask more online than offline • Qualitative data support these findings

  12. Conclusions and further research • Multitasking is prevalent and important • The Internet influences the ability and propensity to multitask • The Internet influences the nature of multitasking • Increased number of activities can be multitasked • Increased activity participation • Implications for study of Internet impacts • Understanding of behaviour and behavioural change • Implications for… • Time use; travel; social exclusion/sociability • Future directions • These databases – soon to be available online • Methodological development • Theoretical/conceptual development – nature of time and time use

  13. Acknowledgements and contact details • EPSRC/DfT funded study within the FIT research programme • Research undertaken as part of the INTERNET project at the Centre for Transport and Society, UWE, Bristol • For further information: Dr Susan Kenyon Lecturer in Qualitative Research Methods Centre for Health Services Studies University of Kent Canterbury Kent  CT2 7NF Tel: 01227 824908 Email: S.L.Kenyon@kent.ac.uk

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