Academic media multitasking specifically refers to the phenomenon where students or academics divide their attention between learning-related activities, such as studying or reading scholarly material, and non-learning activities like texting friends, checking social media, or browsing unrelated websites. Studies confirm a negative correlation between media multitasking and academic achievement, with some reporting small to moderate effects or no correlation at all. This topic is particularly important today due to the pervasive use of media among younger generations and its impact on attention, focus, academic performance, and cognitive load. This meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively integrate individual correlational studies and draw general conclusions about the relationship between academic media multitasking and academic achievement. The sample comprised studies published in English scientific journals from 2010 to the present, with methodological characteristics matching the context of this analysis. A total of 11 studies were included in the final analysis. Correlation coefficients were used as a measure of effect size, with both fixed and random effects models applied to calculate the overall measure of effect size. The quality of the included studies was assessed, and potential publication bias was examined using a symmetry graph and Trim and Fill analysis. The results confirmed a low-intensity negative correlation between digital multitasking and academic achievement with a weighted average correlation coefficient of r=−0.252 (fixed effects model) and r=−0.246 (random effects model) and high heterogeneity (I² = 93.98%) among the studies, suggesting variability in the findings. The present meta-analysis also revealed high heterogeneity among the studies, suggesting variability in the findings. This heterogeneity opens avenues for exploring potential mediating relationships or covariates that impact why students engage in digital multitasking.

Focusing and regulating attention play a major role in avoiding digital distractions and maintaining focus on academic activities. Boredom is known to divert attention away from activities that lack value and towards activities that are stimulating, therefore this research examines the mediating role of this emotion in the relationship between perceived academic control, task value on the one hand, and digital distraction propensity on the other. The research sample consisted of 281 university students in Serbia who attended online classes, of which 86.1% were female. The instruments used in the research were the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire -Short version (AEQ-S), the Online Learning Motivated Attention and Regulation Strategies (OLMARS) questionnaire, the Perception of Academic Control Questionnaire (PAC), and Task Evaluation subscale from Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The results indicate that boredom in class and during learning achieves complete mediation in establishing a relationship between academic control and the perception of discontinuity of attention, awareness of the problem with attention caused by lingering thoughts, and distraction due to the sounds of social media notifications. Boredom in class fully mediates the relation-ship between academic control and the use of behavioral strategies, as well as the relationship between task value and perception of a problem with attention caused by lingering thoughts. Both boredom in class and during learning achieves a full mediation effect on the relationship between task value and perception of attention discontinuity, and the relationship between task value and distraction from social media notification sounds. The obtained results follow the Control Value Theory of Achievement Emotions. People who experience boredom may have difficulty regulating media use and are more prone to digital distraction. Implications as well as future research opportunities are discussed.

This paper was aimed at examining the structure and expression of national identity among secondary school students (N=568) in different towns in Serbia, its relation to self-esteem and achievement motive, as well as the differences regarding socio-demographic characteristics (sex and place of residence). The instruments used are the Scale of National Identity NAIT, the Global Self-Esteem Scale, and the Scale to Measure Achievement Motive MOP2002. The results have shown that the values of national identity are above the theoretical average and significantly higher than the values recorded among the adolescents in an earlier study. Among general characteristics of their own nation, secondary school students value culture more than history, character traits and state institutions (lowest-ranked in comparison to all other characteristics), finding that courage is the most pronounced individual characteristic, while the least pronounced one is hypocrisy. A positive correlation of national identity with self-esteem and achievement motive was obtained, whereas achievement motive is also a significant national identity predictor. Significant differences were found in the expression of national identity among secondary school students in relation to their place of residence (secondary school students from Belgrade have a higher level of national identity in comparison to their peers from Niš and Kosovska Mitrovica).