Content area
Full text
Introduction
Reading from screens, such as computers, tablets and smartphones, has become increasingly prevalent for educational, leisure and work-related activities. Because so much screen reading takes place in an environment that includes access to the internet or on a smartphone, multitasking while reading has also come into play (Subrahmanyam et al., 2013).
The digital revolution is sparking a greater awareness of the reality of distraction. People today, especially those in younger generations, have become more or less obsessed with devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones. Due to the temptation to check these devices while reading online, students spend less time focusing on their schoolwork and take longer to complete assignments (Rosen, 2017).
Given the importance of reading in human civilization, any changes brought about by the shift from paper-based to screen-based reading are likely to have tremendous cognitive, social and cultural implications (Mangen and van der Wheel, 2016). Increasing numbers of assignments require students to read on screens rather than in print. In a time when screen reading has become intensified due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, it is urgent to understand the effects of the resulting distraction on reading.
Digital distraction is a critical issue of screen reading. It has a widespread influence on reading activities (e.g. browsing, reading concentration, memory, recall and comprehension). Since screen reading has close links with multitasking and potential distractions, any investigation of reading in the digital environment must factor in this reality. Without taking digital distraction into account, our understanding of reading behaviors in the digital environment would be incomplete. Numerous studies have focused on reading behavior on computers, e-readers, tablets and smartphones; however, at present, very little attention has been given to study the extent and effects of digital distraction. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent and effects of digital distraction while reading on screens. Special emphases go to exploring multitasking while reading. Understanding this critical phenomenon may help to minimize the negative effects of on-screen reading and to empower readers in the increasingly digital landscape.
Literature review
Distraction is not a new problem; however, the arrival of a digital environment has raised this issue to a new level of attention. Digital technology has reshaped how we interact with information. A report...