Everything Science Knows About Reading On Screens

We've adapted our reading habits to fit our screens, but at a cost.

Thanks to technology, we're reading more than ever—our brains process thousands of words via text messages, email, games, social media, and web stories. According to one report, the amount people that read tripled from 1980 to the late 2000s, and it's probably safe to say that trend continues today. But as we jam more and more words into our heads, how we read those words has changed in a fundamental way: we've moved from paper to screens. It's left many wondering what we've lost (or gained) in the shift, and a handful of scientists are trying to figure out the answer.
When people read short nonfiction onscreen, their understanding of the text suffered. Why? Because they managed their time poorly.

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