Tablet Phone: Books on e-readers like Kindle shown to be less enjoyable

Results of study will delight those who refuse to give up paper for digital
Found readers of story in physical form were more likely to absorb plot
Even when writing with a pen and paper we take in more than typing
Believed the slower pace of longhand forces us to pay more attention
Computer users more likely to be distracted with emails and viral videos
But shortcoming of gadgets ‘must be weighed against their advantages’

By Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent

Published: 19:07 EST, 29 October 2014 | Updated: 05:30 EST, 30 October 2014

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They are a must-have for those who like to read on the way to work.

But books read on Kindles, iPads and other screens may be less enjoyable and harder to follow.

Similarly, we find it easier to remember notes made by hand than those tapped into a laptop.

A study found readers of an upsetting short story were more likely to have empathy for the tale than e-readers

The research will delight those who refuse to give up pens and paper for keyboards and e-readers.

Evidence that reading on a screen simply isn't the same includes a Norwegian study in which university studies read an upsetting short story in a booklet or on an iPad.

Those who read it on paper experienced more empathy and were more likely to be 'transported' – or lose themselves in the story.

A second study from the same team found people who read a mystery story on a Kindle were worse at absorbing the plot than those who read the tale on paper.

For instance, they found it more difficult to put the twists and turns in the right order.

Researcher Anne Mangen, of the University of Stavanger, said this may be because it is to form a timeline when facts float in front of us on a screen.

When text is read in a book, memory may be aided by visualising how far down a page something appeared, or how many pages had been read.

Researchers say e-readers of a story found it more difficult to put the twists and turns into the right order

In contrast, when using a screen, it is more difficult to know how far through a book you are – or even to flick back to a particular page.

Other research has shown that typing may be no match for writing.

Work done at the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that students who took notes by hand generally understood the content of a lecture better and remembered more.

It is thought that the slower pace of writing forces people to pay more attention.

And while those who take notes by hand record less, they have taken the time to filter out irrelevant information.

There is also the distraction element.

Other research has shown that typing may be no match for handwriting as computer users can be distracted

This week's New Scientist reports: 'When you've got a laptop open in front of you, it's very tempting to browse the web, check email or watch the latest viral video.

'Unsurprisingly, this kind of multi-tasking has been shown to degrade performance – and not just for you, but for those around you who get distracted by your onscreen flitting.'

The magazine says that more research is 'sorely needed'. But even if digital devices are changing the way we read and write, it may not matter.

It states: 'Gadgets' shortcomings must be weighed against their advantages: portability, economy, access to the world's knowledge and so on.

'Screens aren't going to go away any time soon and they raise issues that go far beyond literacy.

'But our approach to their use should not be in thrall to yesterday's values.

'Only when we know precisely what screens do to us will we know precisely what we should do with them.'