Reading
WHEN WE READ, we construct a mental
representation of the text in our minds, much
as we do when we look at terrain and create a
mental map in our heads. But experts warn that
we read text on screens differently, preferring
to skim, scan and click hyperlinks, rather than
‘deep reading’ in the old-fashioned sense.
Norwegian experts tested the theory by
dividing students of comparable reading skills
into a paper group and LCD monitor group.
In a follow-up reading comprehension test,
the group who’d read texts on computers
performed a little worse than the traditional
readers. And a Swedish study in which
volunteers completed a reading test reportedMultitasking
OUR ‘ALWAYS-ON’ culture has been dubbed
“infomania” by psychologist Dr Glenn Wilson,
who tested the IQs of subjects in either a quiet
room or one with mobiles ringing and emails
arriving. The technological distractions diminished
IQ by 10 points.
Similarly, a US study found that students who
instant messaged with friends during a reading
task took between 22 and 59 per cent longer
to complete the task, even accounting for the
additional time spent messaging.
Brain-imaging reveals that multitasking uses
different brain regions to focus on one task.
Learning while focusing on one task uses the
hippocampus, which stores ideas and creates
rich and flexible memories. This area allows us to
compare old ideas with incoming data to put what
we learn into context, effectively leading to deeper
understanding. Multitasking, on the other hand,
uses the striatum — a brain region that stores
procedures and skills. New information acquired
using the striatum is less flexible and can’t be
generalised in the same way. This suggests that
knowledge acquired while multitasking is less
deeply embedded in our memories.
Researchers from University College
London recently linked frequent
multitasking to smaller grey matter
density in the anterior cingulate
cortex (ACC), which is the brain
region that is involved in empathy
and decision-making. However, it is
unclear whether having a smaller ACC
makes you more likely to multitask,
or whether it’s multitasking that causes
the ACC to shrink.
But some experts say technology has
made us all more skilful at multitasking.
Hong Kong researchers report
multitaskers are better at multisensory
integration, while a 2016 study from
Microsoft found our ability to
multitask has “improved drastically”
since the turn of the millennium.Verdict: Technology may make us
more adept multitaskers, but
perhaps at a cost.similar findings: those who took the test on a
computer scored lower, and reported higher
stress levels, than those who took the same
test on paper.
Prof Ziming Liu, of the School of Information
at San José State University in California,
believes digital screen readers engage in
greater use of shortcuts such as browsing for
keywords. His research also reveals that
screen users are more likely to read a
document only once and expend less time on
in-depth reading.Verdict: More research needed, but
technology may make us less thorough.