Abstract
This paper analyzes the relationships between the frequency and intensity of online chatting practices, Internet and social media use, and reading comprehension of printed texts. To achieve this aim, the study included 101 university students who attended public university in Argentina. No significant correlations were found between both the frequency and the intensity measurements and the narrative text comprehension test. However, findings showed a significant negative association between the reading comprehension of academic texts towards the intensity of social media use and online chatting practices. In addition, and according to their level of Internet utilization, social media usage and online chatting practices, the students were subdivided into three groups: high, intermediate, and low usage level. The analysis revealed statistically significant differences in their performance in relation to the academic text comprehension test in subjects with low and high intensity levels of social media usage. This data supports the hypothesis that the involvement and reading practices brought into play in those digital environments hinder comprehension. Getting to know the students’ profiles in relation to their use of social media and online chat practices would provide valuable information for the design of effective interventions in the field of academic text comprehension.
Reading comprehension; University students; Internet; Social media