IS the internet making us stupid? That’s the question researchers from Wellington’s Victoria University asked in a study on people’s reading behaviour. And the answer is: yes. PHOTO PROVES SOCIAL MEDIA’S MAKING US DUMB We might have more access to information than ever before, but reading things online actually has a negative impact on people’s cognition. Associate professor Val Hooper and masters student Channa Herath’s analysis of online and offline reading behaviour found that online reading generally does not have a positive impact on people’s cognition. Concentration, comprehension, absorption and recall rates when engaging with online material were all much lower than traditional text. Unengaged ... people are more likely to skim read online material, the study found. Unengaged ... people are more likely to skim read online material, the study found. Source: AP This despite people getting through more material thanks to skim reading and scanning online material. People also seem to become distracted when reading online due to emails, checking news, exploring hyperlinks and viewing video clips. “People almost expect to be interrupted when they’re on their computers,” Dr Hooper said. While many respondents said they had learnt to read faster and more selectively, they also admitted they were more likely to remember material they had read offline. The study revealed it’s still common practice for people to print out material they think is important
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 05:22:45 +0000
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