Is It Time to Abandon the Media Multitasking Index?

Abstract: For over a decade, the media multitasking index (MMI) has been the de facto standard measure for media multitasking. Thousands of studies in communication and adjacent disciplines have used the measure to investigate the relationship between media multitasking and cognitive functioning. In this paper we pose one central question: Is it time to abandon the MMI as a valid measure of individual differences in media multitasking? To answer this question, we highlight a selection of practical, methodological, and theoretical concerns regarding the validity and usefulness of the MMI for indexing media multitasking. Thereafter, we outline a research agenda to evaluate the veracity of these concerns and to advance the development of new measures of media multitasking and the adoption of new research designs. In doing so, we aim to integrate disjointed perspectives and stimulate new, improved theoretical and methodological practices in media multitasking research.