Author: Victor Pham Ph.D.

With multiple screens at our fingertips, it’s easy to scroll social media while studying, watch videos during meals, or text while writing essays. But how does this ubiquitous habit of “media multitasking” truly affect our focus and emotional health? New research suggests the constant switching might be a sign of emotional struggle—and a cause of increased stress.

A recent study by Shin et al. (2025) from Charles Sturt University explored whether media multitasking serves as an avoidance coping strategy: a way to distract ourselves from stress or negative feelings.

Across three experiments, the researchers found that people who frequently multitasked with media reported higher levels of anxiety and depression. These individuals seemed to use media as a way to escape unpleasant emotions, but the behavior only reinforced a negative emotional cycle.

Interestingly, while the frequent multitaskers didn't show a direct attentional avoidance of negative stimuli, their media habits were still strongly linked to anxious and avoidant tendencies. In short, constant media juggling might be more about emotional avoidance than efficiency.

Complementing that, a 2025 study by Wang et al. at Anhui Medical University examined over 900 college students to test whether smartphone multitasking directly causes anxiety.

Using a six-month longitudinal design, they found that multitasking with a smartphone—texting, scrolling, or switching between media while doing other activities—predicted higher anxiety symptoms later on. Crucially, the reverse wasn't true: anxiety did not lead to more multitasking.

This suggests that excessive phone-based multitasking may be a cause of stress rather than simply being a symptom of it.

What does this mean for students, early-career professionals, and lifelong learners? While multitasking might feel productive, these studies suggest it can actually drain mental energy and significantly increase stress.

A better approach is single-tasking: focusing your attention entirely on one activity at a time, whether that’s studying, reading, working, or even resting.

If you find yourself reaching for your phone while working, try small, powerful adjustments:

By making these small shifts, you may find your focus improving—and your anxiety easing up, too. It’s not about cutting technology entirely, but rather using it intentionally, one task at a time.

Shin, M., Downes, C., Hopwood, J., Byers, M., & Kemps, E. (2025). Media multitasking, negative mood, and avoidance coping. Behaviour & Information Technology, 44(7), 1376–1386. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2024.2353276

Wang, M., Li, R., Xie, Y., Wan, Y., Wu, X., Tao, F., & Tao, S. (2025). The bidirectional associations between smartphone multitasking and anxiety symptoms among Chinese college students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 14(2), 929–940. https://doi.org/1556/2006.2025.00045