Embodiments relate to displaying textual data. Aspects of the embodiments includes receiving a request to display textual data and displaying textual data in a region within a display area. Displaying textual data includes sequentially presenting successive components of the textual data at a fixed position relative to the display area. Aspects of the embodiments also includes monitoring a point of gaze of a user based on biometric information, and based on detecting that the point of gaze is away from the region, automatically stopping the displaying by the processor at a time point corresponding to a current component, and determining a previous component of the textual data displayed at a previous time point. Aspects of the embodiments further include, based on detecting that the point of gaze has returned to the region, commencing by the processor the displaying at the previous component and continuing to display successive components of the textual data.