Memory affected by reading online?

6 Comments

If you think about how your memory works and how much you can remember (especially long term) from a text that you read online or on a computer screen in comparison with the same kind of texts that you read on paper (printed texts, printed books or texts written by hand on paper etc..), do you think that your memory works differently depending on the medium?

No difference 17
I have no idea / I cannot compare it 10
I remember more from texts on a computer screen 8
I remember more from texts on paper 10
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Comments ( 6 )
  • NoraBaker
    11 years ago

    Paper, because of my interaction with it: the underlining, scribbling, different colors, whether I used cursive handwriting or not, little symbols and drawings, etc. I retain that type of visual information better; and it affects my ability to remember the content.

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  • q25t
    11 years ago

    I don't really notice a difference.

    I do remember very little from most web sites and quite a lot from printed text but I don't think the reason is the medium but the content.

    It's a time wasting web site versus a text book or a novel I've been reading for weeks so of course I'll remember more.

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  • NeuroNeptunian
    11 years ago

    I think I get more engaged in reading paper texts, whereas online texts I like to scroll more to make myself think that I have read more which usually leads to my reading less.

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  • Elixoveri
    11 years ago

    It doesn't really make a difference, but I've to say texts from paper.

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  • neuronarf
    11 years ago

    I think it's just preference. I like to read what I like to read and nothing else, so the computer works well. I'd rather read a quick article than a big book. I like to get to the point. I find it easier to put something into context if it's paraphrased in lay-mans terms, but of course then you are not getting full details and understanding the broad scope and depth.

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  • Shackleford96
    11 years ago

    I would like to think no, but that's probably off.

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