Latest research from Michigan State University has found that doing many different tasks while also watching TV has been linked to increased incidence of anxiety and depression.
The research has found that using multiple forms of media at the same time for example playing a computer game or surfing on the internet while watching TV, has been linked to the increased likelihood of suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression.
For the study, 319 people were surveyed on their use of multi-media and their mental health. Participants answered questions on the amount of time per week they use two or more primary forms of media at any one time. The media the researchers were interested in were watching televisions, sending text messages or being on the phone, playing computer games, browsing the internet and listening to music. The mental health survey although did not equate to a clinical diagnosis, used well established measures to assess levels of anxiety and depression.
Lead researcher Mark Becker, has reportedly expressed his surprise at the findings which have reported an extremely significant link between media multitasking and the increased chance of mental health problems.
Currently, the researchers have only found an association between mental health and media multitasking, research still needs to be conducted in order to establish the exact cause of the correlation. Additionally, further research needs to be undertaken to establish if people who use multiple forms of media at the same time is as a result of suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression.
