As the Internet has become more and more popular, we may be reading a great deal more than we used to. However, the way we are reading materials on the Internet, or online reading, is very different from the way we traditionally read printed materials.

In the traditional way of reading, we would start at the beginning of a book and read through to the end. In online reading, in contrast, we start reading a page, but may never finish it because a link on that page leads us to a passage on a different page, and so on. As we go from one page to another, we have to remember lots of different ideas at the same time. This new way of reading is quite different from the traditional one.

There are both advantages and disadvantages of online reading. In online reading, the brain gets better than ever at doing many tasks at the same time, or multitasking; and thanks to this, we can work quickly and think creatively. Multitasking is useful in certain working environments, but it also makes it more difficult for us to read at a deep level. We are, therefore, much less likely to analyse what we read in a critical way, or gain any real insight into the contents we are reading. This might lead to a future when a whole new generation lacks the ability to think critically and deeply about what they are reading.

The world is changing and our brains are probably changing to meet new demands in the modern world, just as they have always done throughout history. However, it is important for us to consider how to maintain our critical, deeper reading skills, while still dealing with online reading materials.

(Adapted from Insight by Roberts and Sayer)