Reading and digital natives

Abstract

The reading and the modality of reading have changed and they are deeply evolved over time along with the progress of society, previously with the advent, and later with the diffusion, always more pervasive, of the technology and with the related cultural changes that have resulted. How does the reading and the paper-book have evolved in relation to the important transformations, such as digitization and dissemination of e-books? In which direction you have to orient the reading, especially the reading of texts on paper, for the formation
of the younger generations, that are now immersed in the digital world? What kind of learning we are talking about when we refer to reading? What is the bases of this important competence for the future of the society and of the democracy? These are some of the questions that direct the reflection in the present work. In the first part of this contribution, the authors illustrate the relationship between reading, society and technology; in the second
part, we provide a description of reading and reading literacy; finally, we propose a reflection about the possible actions that could be promoted at school, for the improvement of the digital natives’ reading comprehension process, to ensure that they become attentive readers and aware of the importance of reading as an intellectual activity. Reading means being able to understand the world, to represent it, to express it. The school is the only agency that, perhaps, may still affect a virtuous process that encourages the transition from
reading, to understanding and to interpreting.