On a screen or in print: What's the Difference?

Reading content from a computer or phone screen is vastly different than reading from print. Not only are there visual differences, but there are other differences as well. Although the content may be the same, I would argue that reading something from a physical book or handout allows us to be more concentrated while reading.

For example, reading something that is in print allows us to focus on one specific page at a time. Our eyes are limited to a certain amount of space and are forced within the confines of two pages at a time. Another benefit of reading in print is that there are fewer distractions on the page. For instance, in print (besides newspapers and magazines), the most you will see on two pages is usually the text that you have to read and maybe a picture or two. When reading something on a screen however, you will most likely see the article you are reading, links to other related articles, advertisements for previous websites you’ve visited, and sometimes a video that goes along with the article. Although this does provide you with more information on the topic, I would say that it is also more of a distraction and makes it harder to stay focused on the specific document for a long period of time.

Reading on screen and reading in print also require two different approaches. Reading on screen can be much more convenient at times and can be done on a number of different platforms—a computer, a tablet, a phone, etc. No matter where you are, you will most likely always have access to whatever you may be reading online—which is a benefit for when you cannot read something in one sitting. When reading in print however, I feel like you almost have to block out a specific time to do it, a specific time to actually sit down with the physical document and read it. This can make it more difficult to read on the go.

One expectation that I personally almost always have, which isn’t necessarily a good one, is that I am initially not going to be interested in something if I have to read it in print. For instance, mostly everything that I read by my own choice comes from online and is read through a screen. Therefore, when I have to read something that is in print, unless it’s something that I picked out, it’s usually because it is required for a certain course or something that I wasn’t able to read online. I almost always go into reading something that is in print questioning if I will be interested in the document. Whether it’s because of the fact that I’m less likely to skim something that is in print, or because I can see how long the document actually is, I can say that I almost always go into reading something in print unaware if I will be interested.

Part of this reason may be because of a personal experience I have with this specific topic. Throughout high school and college, some of my professors would give specific instructions to print out certain documents and read them as opposed to reading them online throughout the semester. Specifically, when the documents are difficult to read, they would make me print them out and mark them up when reading (take notes in the margins). One professor will also sometimes make us go line by line and put the piece into different language that is easier to understand. Attempting to do this with something that is on a screen would be more difficult in my opinion.

All in all, although it may not seem different at all, it is important to recognize the differences in reading from a screen and reading in print.