Print Books Versus Digital Books

New electronics and programs, such as Twitter, Facebook, or the newest iPhone, are often associated with the younger generation. However, when it comes to reading, kids and teens are not always quick to turn to a Nook or a Kindle, devices designed for digital reading and allowing the purchase of electronic books, more commonly referred to as ebooks. Print books prove more beneficial than digital books in that they allow one to better retain and comprehend the material, and cause a lower amount of eye fatigue. One may not originally perceive the differences between these two forms of reading, but when scrutinized several advantages and risks emerge, some capable of causing physical damage, albeit without one’s knowledge.

Print books provide the benefit of allowing one to better remember the material. A common annoyance occurs in which one reads a passage, acknowledges that one has no recollection of the information previously read, and then rereads this passage. This annoyance resulting from lack of concentration and ability to adequately retain given information occurs more often while reading digital books. Why encounter such an aggravation when it can be avoided? Several scientists have proven that the brain interprets words on print differently than words on a digital screen. Nicholas Carr, a technology writer, concurs with other researchers in that the brain interprets written words and letters as physical objects. This physical aspect of the words creates a greater, more solidified impact within one’s mind, contrasting the scrambled effect digital words leave. This lesser physical presence also prompts our eyes to skim over pages of digital books, not fully grasping the individual words to piece them together in a gre...

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...sucked into this current of inventions and progressions. Though these changes are not wholly negative, traditional items such as print books must still be incorporated to form a further developed and complete society, as such items posses the ability to add benefits not acquired through technological products.

Works Cited

1. Bilton, Nick. “The Allure of the Print Book.” The New York Times. The New York Times Mag., 2 Dec 2013. Web. 9 Feb 2014.

2. “Eye Strain.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation, 19 Sept 2012. Web. 10 Feb 2014.

3. Fenlon, Wesley. “Paper Books Offer Better Reading Comprehension Than E-Books.” Tested. Tested, 6 Sept 2013. Web. 9 Feb 2014.

4. Jeong, Hanho. “A comparison of the influence of electronic books and paper books on reading comprehension, eye fatigue, and perception.” Emerald Insight. Emerald Insight, Dec 2010. Web. 10 Feb 2014.