Reading habits of undergraduate students in the digital environment: a gender perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the role and impact of gender on reading habits. It is an attempt to explore the probable reason why or why not gender differences take place concerning reading time, reading purpose, reading resources and digital devices among undergraduate students in the digital environment. Design/methodology/approach For this study, the researcher used a survey-based approach. To accomplish the study’s goals, a meticulously designed questionnaire has been disseminated among undergraduate students in selected colleges located in the western district of Tripura, a northeastern state in India. Findings The study found that female respondents have a slightly higher level of liking for reading than males. For both genders, the major purpose of reading is to enhance their knowledge unvaryingly. Furthermore, it has been observed that female respondents read electronic and print reading material more frequently compared to their male counterparts. Female respondents read fiction more frequently than males in print form. Both genders have more ease in reading print resources than digital resources. Among all digital devices, respondents are most competent at using mobile devices and prefer them for digital reading. Research limitations/implications As part of the pilot study, investigators surveyed a limited sample population, where the participation of students was further lower because of the unavailability of students. Originality/value The gender-based level of competency with digital devices is studied as a variable among the adult population to measure its correlation with reading habits.