Methods for controlling the display of content as the content is being viewed by an end user of a head-mounted display device (HMD) are described. In some embodiments, an HMD may display the content using a virtual content reader for reading the content. The content may comprise text and/or images, such as text or images associated with an electronic book, an electronic magazine, a word processing document, a webpage, or an email. The virtual content reader may provide automated content scrolling based on a rate at which the end user reads a portion of the displayed content on the virtual content reader. In one embodiment, an HMD may combine automatic scrolling of content displayed on the virtual content reader with user controlled scrolling (e.g., via head tracking of the end user of the HMD).