Paper Or Digital: The Power Of Reading
Reading plays a critical role in the journey of our development
and it's long been suggested that the earlier you get started on reading, that the more it will help to foster a large vocabulary. It strengthens our ability to take in and understand new concepts, helping us to better interact and engage with the world around us. Reading can also help us to improve writing skills, better concentration and focus, strengthen our memory and much more.
For many students these days, they will spend much of their time looking at a screen rather than reading from a page in a book. There are schools in the US with their own school-issued iPads or laptops, and a growing number of textbooks are available in electronic form.
Students today are growing up surrounded by incredible technology, but as far as helping to improve results in the way of learning, things might not be better off.
Researchers who have investigated the differences between reading digital media and print, suggest that students aren't automatically going to be better served just because they opt to read the information on a digital screen.
They say that there is a significant discrepancy here, reading performance has been seen to decline with students reading from digital screens as opposed to reading from books. They suggest that there is a disruptive effect on comprehension because of the act of scrolling.
Multiple studies have been conducted to try and investigate this relationship further, to assess which might be the superior learning method. And though they have found some differences, researchers say that there isn't any one size fits all approach to learning.
One thing to keep in mind, they say, is that it's important for students to remember why they are reading and that might help to determine which medium (books or digital) is going to be the one to work best for them.
For many students who find school textbooks to be highly overpriced, electronic options have been a beneficial cost-saving option for them. Not only that, but many students have reported that they simply prefer to read the information from a digital screen. Though you might be surprised that a great deal still enjoy reading from print books.
Reading from a book might not always promote a better result for the individual over reading from a screen, there isn't any one best option for everyone. Though, researchers do admit that there are some unique advantages that are offered from paper reading. And previous findings suggest that reading from a digital screen might promote inaccuracy, slow down reading time, and reduce comprehension.
It's estimated that only 1 in 4 Americans read a book last year.
Along with the rise in popularity for digital, it's been suggested that the love for reading traditional books has declined with many Americans. The percentage of those who've been reading short stories, poetry, and plays, is said to have been on the decline for several years now.
There isn't anything to worry about though, industry experts maintain, because love for reading print is still alive and well. There are still millions of Americans who love to read their e-books. At the moment, it's estimated that e-books account for roughly 15-20 percent of all trade book sales.
Dozens of different studies have been conducted to investigate the efficiency of both, repeatedly finding that digital reading was more physically and mentally taxing than print reading. Though, not always.
Some might find that books work best for them, while there are others who stand firm by their preference that digital is the only medium for them. Digital has been said to be cheaper and more convenient, while books are credited as being more aesthetically pleasing and less physically-taxing to use when reading. What works best for one might not be what is going to work best for someone else.
The more options that students have available to them the better, because they'll hopefully be able to find something that works best for them and their own unique needs at the time.
Pics:
Pixabay
Pixabay
Giphy
Simpsons via giphy
Sources:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/students-learn-better-from-books-than-screens-according-to-a-new-study?utm_content=buffer1332b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
http://ewn.co.za/2017/10/18/study-students-learn-better-from-books-than-screens
https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/why-reading-is-the-most-intelligent-thing-you-can-do.html
https://qz.com/1039404/end-of-textbooks/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-decline-of-the-american-book-lover/283222/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-four-americans-didnt-read-book-last-year-180960340/
http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/01/book-reading-2016/
http://uk.businessinsider.com/students-learning-education-print-textbooks-screens-study-2017-10
Someone once asked me "what is the most important thing your mom taught you?" That answer was easy.... how to READ! I was reading at age 4 and reading newspapers at age 5. Anything I could get my hands on that had print I read, the backs of the flour sacks, the labels on clothing, etc. you have to realize when I was young there were not many options on the old farm and even the newspaper was only brought to the house once a week. I learned to read and never stopped. I've raised my kids with the old phrase "if you can read you can do and/or be what ever you want in life". It is all there in print if you know where to look.
In highschool I cut a lot of classes, but only because the high school library was so limited on material, I'd cut class and they would find me at the county library some several blocks away. I became good friends with the librarian and if she didn't have the books I was looking for she would order them for me.
I have to admit that the online digital versions are great for doing research BUT there is nothing that holds a candle to the great writings of old that we simply don't have access to online. I've moved many times though out life and the hardest part is packing up and transporting my books. People shy away from helping me anymore when I ask them to help move me.... LOL they say, but books are SO HEAVY!
One of my favorite all time book publishers are those at healthresearchbooks.com If a book is out of print, they will print it for me. A great place to visit if you are ever in the area of Pomeroy, Wa. Nikki Jones owns it. She had never intended to get into the book publishing business until her father passed away, he was a publisher. When she went to gather his belongings what she found in the old barn was a stockpile of information that changed her mind. Within some of the old boxes she found piles of information of Wall Street journals (all done by hand in the first days of their operation) She decided to find a place to create a publishing company.
Not only is she great company and the staff so helpful, but the smells of old books and printer's ink makes it a wonderful place to visit. We have simply lost a vast amount of knowledge from not having some of these great works available and I would recommend anyone that wants to learn the truth about the past, dig in and be ready to have your mind blown. :)
Interesting. I think from an environmental standpoint, digital is better. Do you know of any studies comparing reading books from print and listening to an audiobook? I listen to about one audiobook a month and I find it easier to remember spoken word. I also like that I can "read" an audiobook while I'm driving or working out. One drawback that I don't like however is that I can't highlight and easily go back to find useful info and quotes.
I agree with this
Give me a real book any day, screen time is taking over our lives!
Welcome to the century
Thank you!
While I love the feel of books, I also love being able to take 100's of books with me on my kindle (not the fire). I'm a voracious reader and now I don't have pack an extra suitcase just for books when we travel.
I also appreciate being able to more easily read long books without my hands getting tired. I agree that having multiple options is wonderful.
I once went to a garage sale with a ton of books for sale. The lady told me that they had been her very elderly mother's, but she was selling them now that she had passed away since she proudly told me she hadn't read a book in over 50 years since high school. I was shocked. I literally had a difficult time not being rude because I was so confused by her statement!
@doitvoluntarily If you want Develop you Mind Just Read. Everything you can get your hands on. Read until words become your friends. Then when you need to find one, they will jump into your mind, waving their hands for you to pick them. And you can select whichever you like
A very depressing statistic. But not all that surprising. Every day, I interact with people who seem to have the attention span of a flea.
Working in education I have learned technology should be used as a tool to enhance learning not replace the traditional methods. A cross between technology and traditional materials should be combined to increase maximum effect. The technology captures attention while the books build effect and results. As an example use the technology to simplify note taking annotations and quiz and test while the reading and research comes from the book. This not only increases reading levels but also enhances multi tasking and motor skills.
Great writeup @doitvoluntarily. It does depend on the person seeking for knowledge but I think most people embrace the digital world not only because it's cheap but due to the easy availability, easy storage and ease of use. At least for me, I have more than 500 e-books on my phone which I can open and read anytime. Can't do the same for paper prints.
I was just sitting with my friend yesterday. We both still read books and we got to talking about how they smell so good, and thats something that you can't get digitally.. There are many different smells to books depending on the binding, paper, ink, and age. Hard to pick the best smelling ones though.. I read several books a year, I wish I could read more. I have found my self resorting to audio books more and more though, which sits somewhere in between physical books and digital books
This is a really good point. The smell and feel of a book seems to help me engage with it more than when I read my kindle. Maybe that's why I remember what I read on paper better than what I read on a screen. Paper book sensory input is subtle but perhaps very important.
Interesting... and so true. Although I received my masters in 2001, I had to take a class on multi-cultural counseling last year and decided to buy the digital form of the text book to save money. I regretted it not only due to the scrolling issue (trying to do a last minute study of a chapter before an exam was difficult), I also like to highlight and take notes in my text books. This is something that can be a tedious task in digital form. Furthermore, I definitely remember things better when I write them down versus typing them out. At the risk of sounding like an old codger who is reminiscing about the good old days, I am a Xer who had the privilege of coming of age without smart phones. I agree that new technology does not always mean it makes things better. A perfect example is Bluetooth speakers and storing music digitally. I regret getting rid of my old stereo system which I feel was far superior in sound.
@zheimberg Same here! Just went back to school and got digital books... annoying, tedious. Have to log into site every time to access them since there only rentals. I agree about writing down vs. typing. I remember way more when I had write notes and such. Maybe it's the act of forming the letters with your hands? I like tech, but the reality of most of the technology floating around is that most of it isn't needed. I mean, smart-phones. What do most people do with their smart phones anyway? Take pictures of themselves or take pictures of someone in peril while they watch and record. Does someone really need an Alexa to retrieve a movie or change a channel or order crappy food? No, you don't. But hey, that's where we're going!
Wall-E is probably going to come true. But there won't be any floating chairs. Before long, humans will be too overweight to move around, so humans will just stay in their houses and do everything virtually. Robots will deliver food, clean the house, wipe dirty asses...