Reading on paper and screens? Advantages, disadvantages and digital inequality

Abstract

Digitalization of all spheres of society has brought significant changes in the practices and forms of reading in the XXI century. Along with the traditional (analog, reading from a paper), a new format of reading has appeared and widespread – digital format (computer, electronic, from screen). It changes the nature of the reader's interaction with the text, has potential opportunities (social reading) and risks (digital inequality). In this regard, the role of libraries (as well as cultural and educational institutions) in enculturation society to the new digital literacy and elimination of negative consequences of digital inequality is increasing. The purpose of the article is to study the specifics of the development of reading in the modern world, to ground characteristic features of reading from the paper and the screen. For this purpose, various points of view of scientists on the originality of reading activities in various formats, the effectiveness of perception of a printed and an electronic text are given; the results of research projects conducted in many countries of the world to identify the characteristics, opportunities, risks and prospects for the development of traditional and digital reading are analyzed and summarized. It is concluded that there have emerged and continue to evolve screen reading practices. Reading in the digital environment as a new way of contacts via electronic texts dynamically changes the communication environment, speeding up and simplifying consumer access to information, has many opportunities and advantages, and transforms reading skills and habits of society. Moreover, at a new technological stage of development, it revives social reading, intensifies digital inequality, leading to a secondary mental-­cognitive digital gap, and modifies personal reading experience of contemporaries.