Reading on screen versus on paper may impact how much you remember. Here’s what you can do. Coursework and research projects require a lot of reading. As more and more articles and books become available in electronic format, it's likely you’ll be doing much of this reading on a screen. However, research studies have shown that you may retain less information when you read something on screen rather than on paper. Reading on screen versus on paper Researchers have found problems with retention when reading onscreen materials. One study of tenth-grade students found that they had better recall and had better reading comprehension when they read a text on paper versus on screen. Another study from 2005 looked at changes in reading over the course of the last ten years. It showed that when people read on-screen, they tend to jump around more in the text rather than reading in a linear, focused manner. What’s more, some researchers contend that by reading often in this way, we might be rewiring our brains in a way that prevents us from reading intently and deeply when we need to. Yikes. What can you do? First, do note that while there are individual studies showing a disadvantage when reading texts that involve higher levels of concentration on a screen, there don’t seem to be hard conclusions yet and some of the research is problematic. Still, if you suspect you focus less when reading on screen, it might be a good idea to print out the papers that are especially important for you to comprehend. Three tips for […]