The Persistence of Print among University Students: an Exploratory Study

LiveMore ScreenLess’ Summary

Four hundred and twenty-nine (429) university students in 5 countries (US, Japan, Germany, Slovakia, and India) were surveyed about their reading practices. Quantitative and qualitative survey data were gathered.

The quantitative findings revealed high levels of affirmation about advantages of reading in print. Nearly 92% said they concentrated best when reading in print, and more than four-fifths reported that if cost were the same, they would prefer print for both schoolwork and pleasure reading. Students reported they were more likely to re-read printed material than digital; they were also more likely to multitask when reading on screen.

Advantages reported for print included ease of annotation and paper’s tactile properties, while among the disadvantages were lack of convenience and expenditure of environmental or monetary resources. The biggest advantage of screen reading was convenience, while the primary disadvantages were eyestrain and distraction.

See general article based on this research: Why do we remember more by reading in print vs. on a screen? Big Think, 2021

Naomi S. Baron, Rachelle M. Calixte, Mazneen Havewala. The persistence of print among university students: An exploratory study. Telematics and Informatics, Volume 34, Issue 5, 2017, Pages 590-604.