Children’s Ability to Read from Computers and Smartphones

Abstract

Children now use digital devices for learning and leisure activities. The study assessed children's ability to read from computers, smartphones and printed sheets. We provided 60 children aged seven to ten years with reading material and recorded the time taken by them to complete reading and their navigation pattern and eye movements using software developed by us. There was no significant difference in the time taken to complete reading and the ability to recall the content when the children read from the three mediums (P > .05). The average eye fixation duration was however significantly higher when the children read from a smartphone (P < .05). Children aged nine and ten years used hyperlinks more often while reading from a smartphone than a computer (P < .05). We concluded that children can read fluently from all the three mediums by the age of seven years, and navigate hypertext effectively on smartphones by nine years of age.