Is the Internet Affecting Our Ability to Read?

Many have argued that it is the same, I am of no exception. But is it really the same? After reading an article that provided scientific research and insights, I begin to doubt so.

It is a foregone conclusion that internet reading is a much preferred medium of reading compared to print. It is also a much convenient for multi-tasking.

Many ( including me ), thought that reading is just reading. Whether reading on a phone, newspaper, book, or the internet, it is just the same language and words.

Some argue that reading on a computer via the internet would affect our eyesight. The harmful rays and waves emitted from the screen that cannot be seen, are extremely harmful to our eyes.

Putting the matter of eyesight damage aside, will it affect reading? Internet has become the preferred medium of reading, since it is much more convenient to do research on the internet. Finding certain things by rummaging through books, is equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack.

But recent scientific research has proved that our mind reading circuit is susceptible to whatever the medium - internet or print emphasizes.

It has proven that while reading on print, our brain can train and develop our reading ability / circuit, from the first level of processing a word, to the even higher level of connecting words together and their meanings, analyse the word, make an inference out of the word and adding in contextual knowledge, and finally the apex of reading, where we can instantenously add in our own personal thoughts.

This is how effective print-reading can develop and train our reading ability. That is why it takes time, sometimes even years to develop our reading abilities fully.

On the other hand, internet reading will never give us sufficient time to learn and go deeper into the text after the first decoding, because young brains would be pulled by the medium to ever more distracting information, sidebars and even videos on the webpage.

That is the main concern of neuro-scientists, that kids nowadays are engaged in online reading at too early a age, before their print-reading can fully develop their reading circuit. Once they are stuck to online reading, they would most probably be stuck in the early stages of reading development for life.

This could mean that the next generation of young people could have weaker reading abilities. Luckily I used print to read until I was around 12, hope that is enough time to develop my reading circuit! :)

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, multi-tasking may be more of a con than a pro. According to research , people who habitually multi-tasked were worse at focusing, remembering things and moving from one task to another than those who focuses on task at a time.