Tablet users tend to multitask, study finds

Tablet computer users are not generally inclined to give all their attention to a single device. Instead, according to a study from Google, tablet owners are more likely to multitask or engage in several forms of media consumption simultaneously.

The study, reported by marketing industry news provider MediaPost, estimates that 42 percent of the activities performed on tablets occur alongside another task or entertainment medium. Among the top tablet activities, according to the report, are checking email, social networking, playing games and web browsing.

However, not all activities lend themselves to multitasking, the study finds. So-called "big-screen activities," like watching video, tend to hold a user's attention, with 82.2 percent of tablet owners saying they don't switch to other devices midstream, according to the report.

The study also reveals several other tablet use habits. For instance, most tablets are used in the evening while the owner is at home. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority -- 91 percent -- of time spent on tablets is for personal activities rather than professional.

Many consumers and professionals are still familiarizing themselves with tablet technology, and, therefore, most experts agree that tablet usage habits are not yet fully developed. As more people adopt tablet computers, the technology is likely to have an even greater impact on their daily habits.