When I look at the phrase “screen reading” I immediately begin to think of someone reading a digital text rather than a printed one. In my opinion, the use of this phrase also describes what reading is like for most people nowadays given that there is more accessibility with digital texts than with print. Now, when it comes to multimedia, hyperlinks, interactivity, and sharing I find that they have become essential parts of the way in which we use texts today. However, although I believe this to be the case I cannot entirely dismiss the idea that they are distractions that take away from the immersive experience created with traditional texts.
This can best be explained through the contrast between deep attention and hyper attention. As explained by Hayles in “Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes”:
Deep attention…is characterized by concentrating on a single object for long periods… ignoring outside stimuli while so engaged, preferring a single stream and having a high tolerance for long focus times. Hyper attention is characterized by switching focus rapidly among different tasks, preferring multiple information streams, seeking a high level of stimulation, and having a low tolerance for boredom. (Hayles 187).
It is when we read texts in a digital format that we find ourselves experiencing hyper attention, whereas with non-digital texts we experience deep attention.
Now, when it comes to my reading habits while using the web and mobile devices I find myself being more accustomed to reading digital texts. However, I do find myself in this case experiencing a sense of hyper attention at times. Whereas, when reading non-digital texts I feel a sense of deep attention at times, but for some reason, I would still choose to read digital texts over physical texts. Although, I think that this may stem from the fact that as a university student, especially during the pandemic, I have needed to become more accustomed to reading digital texts. I think that there should be some incorporation made within digital texts that allow for students to engage a bit more with the reading, whether it be images or videos. An example of this would be a reading that I needed to do for my DTC 354 (digital storytelling) class titled Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. In this book, rather than using long paragraphs of text to explain concepts, comic strips of images and texts are used to create an engaging experience for readers.