It’s Official — the Internet Is Making Us Dumb: The More You Read Online, the Worse You Write
A recent study in the International Journal of Business Administration looked at MBA students at the University of Florida to determine how reading habits shape writing ability. Scientists analyzed writing samples from student cover letters, which were believed to be the most telling form of a student’s best writing — no one wants to make a bad impression on a cover letter — to determine complexity and style.
The study found students who consume primarily digital content (such as Reddit and Buzzfeed) had the lowest writing complexity scores, while those who often read literature and academic journals had the highest levels of writing complexity.
“If you spend all your time reading Reddit, your writing is going to go to hell in a handcart,” warned Professor Yellowless Douglas, the study’s lead author, to the Boston Globe. “You should be very choosy — and highly conscious of the impact — of what you read.
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