Reading on the move: A study of reading behavior of undergraduate smartphone users in China

•Reading behavior on smartphones differs significantly from reading on fixed devices.•An increased reliance on smartphones for reading has raised a new set of challenges.•The digital native generation still shows a strong preference for reading on paper.

The wearability of smartphones enables communication while physically in motion. This research examines some key areas in reading behavior in light of the wide spread adoption and use of Internet-capable mobile phones, or smartphones. A survey of 205 undergraduate students was conducted in China. Reading behavior on smartphones was found to differ significantly from reading on desktop or laptop computers. Compared to reading on desktop or laptop computers, an increased reliance on smartphones for reading has raised a new set of challenges, and has shaped new behavior such as more browsing and scanning, more selective reading, less in-depth reading, and less concentrated reading. People interact with mobile information in varied and unpredictable locations or while in transit. The mobility of information engagement is an important issue that human information theory should embrace.