The Effects of Instant Messaging and Task Difficulty on Reading Comprehension

When trying to complete tasks in both academic and industrial settings, there are can be numerous interruptions that inherently distract individuals from performing required duties. Specifically, when trying to read for content, adults may experience numerous distractions that interfere with their reading pace and comprehension. Interference when reading can be present in many forms, such as background noises from others conversing, the sound of the television, listening to music, text messaging, and instant messaging (Fox, Rosen, & Crawford, 2009). Instant messaging can create numerous interruptions throughout the day; as individuals try to complete reading and writing assignments, they may be simultaneously responding to instant messages from friends, colleagues, and other persons in their social networks (Quan-Haase & Collins, 2008). The purpose of this research was to examine how instant messaging affects reading comprehension and reading efficiency and to further address whether adults can effectively multitask. Instant messaging is a form of communication that involves singular or simultaneous conversations with individual(s) using the computer as the medium (Levine, Waite, & Bowman, 2008). Instant messaging can be a significant distraction when completing verbal and written tasks simultaneously (Fox et al., 2009). Multitasking proves most difficult when the tasks require the use of similar neural networks, which causes greater levels of interference (Besner, Wartak, & Robidoux, 2008). Wang et al. (2012) found participants' dual-task performance was less impaired when the modalities required for the competing tasks were different (i.e., reading and listening) than when competing using similar modalities (i.e., reading and writing). The use of similar modalities when multitasking causes the greatest amount of interference (Besner et al., 2008). However, there are inconsistencies within the literature on the effects of IMing and the performance of academic tasks. Bowman, Levine, Waite, and Gendron (2010) found that when students read an online passage from a psychology book and either IMed before the task, simultaneously IMed during the task, or did not IM, comprehension did not vary between groups, which would indicate no task interference in the understanding of the material. However, although comprehension was not affected, participants took more time to complete the task when IMing during the task condition (Bowman et al., 2010). IMing appears to act as a distractor that provides users with opportunities for engaging in off-task behaviors, which increases total task completion time (Cameron & Webster, 2005). Although instant messaging (IMing) can create a significant distraction that detracts from the completion of work assignments, IMing can be beneficial for the communication of work-related information and for maintaining social networks. College students use instant messaging to maintain long-distance friendships, which allows the continuation of close relationships despite the physical distance (Clark, 2005). In fact, many students report extensive daily use of instant messaging with friends, with 70% of students logging into their IM accounts when on their computer (Quan-Haase, 2007). Moreover, according to Quan-Haase (2007), 28% of college students instant message more than 3 hours per day, 41% of students report IMing 1-2 hours per day, and 31% IM less than 1 hour per day. In addition, Moreno et al. (2012) conducted internet usage research using an experience sampling technique over the course of one week, where participants were contacted via text message to report their current usage. Of those who reported computer usage, more than half (56.5%) reported engaging in multitasking (Moreno et al., 2012). Despite the fact that IMing allows students to maintain friendships, excessive use of IMing can place constant demands on students' time and attention, which may interfere with academic goals. …