Is Human Flourishing in the ICT World of the Future Likely? Evidence from Online Reading Research.

The role that information and computing technology (ICT) plays in improving human flourishing is not always clear. This paper examines current research on one aspect of ICT, namely electronic reading, to demonstrate that in this case the ICT in question may actually diminish flourishing. The paper begins with an overview of the idea of flourishing in positive psychology, and then presents research on electronic reading comprehension, multitasking and distraction, and online scanning behaviors. The paper then makes an argument about the close connection between reading and flourishing, and then concludes by hypothesizing that mindful‐based reading practices may mitigate some of the worst features of electronic reading.