Even in the digital age, paper books stand superior to digital copies

It was announced last year that Central’s new addition would feature a “digital library.” While electronic books are convenient and have certain advantages that regular books don’t, it is important not to forget about traditional books. A lot of humanity’s problems come from innovating and then forgetting about what came before the innovation. It is important that in moving forward, we don’t forget to acknowledge the past and that we keep traditional books in our library.

While it may seem that the content of the text is the only important thing, research has shown that reading on electronic devices actually changes the way we read. Readers are more likely to skim the text than read deeply on digital media. This is due in part to our neurological circuit for reading; the circuit is best suited to the environment in which is it is used, so when we read on media that encourage multitasking and skimming, that’s what our brains start to do, and it effects not only our reading on digital media, but print media as well.

As skim reading becomes more common, deep reading and inquiry become less common. Skim reading makes readers less likely to question and think independently about the content, which can make citizens more susceptible to misinformation and authoritarian ideology. The education system needs to do more to teach inquiry and analysis to promote deeper comprehension of reading, rather than teaching students to skim texts to remember facts.

Traditional books also have a certain physicality to them. It’s not just about the words, it’s about how it feels. A book is concrete, it can be held, touched, smelled, pages flipped through, whereas an e-book doesn’t have that physicality to it. Our brains are always connecting the dots for us, it records and connects information about where we are, what we’re doing, and countless other inputs; when one reads a traditional book, there’s a neurological connection between the content and the environment in which it was read. When people read e-books, that connection is weakened because electronic devices are designed to make the user ignore their surroundings.

Another advantage that printed books have over digital books is the ability to easily save progress and go back to review content. The ease with which readers can move around in the text gives readers more comprehension of the text. A 2013 study by Anne Mangen of the University of Stavanger in Norway, concluded that reading on paper produces better comprehension than reading on screens. In the study, 72 10th-grade students read the same 1,500-word texts, with half reading on paper, and half reading on a computer screen. After reading the texts, the students were given reading comprehension tests and the students who read on paper performed better on average.

Digital books are also more physically taxing on the reader than print books. 70 percent of people who spend long hours working and reading on computers report symptoms such as eyestrain and headaches. The American Optometric Association even officially recognized an ailment known as “computer vision syndrome.” The extra effort that people need to exert to read digital texts may make them less likely to remember and understand the texts.

Paper books are also more accessible to readers than e-books. Not everyone has an electronic device on which they can read e-books, and if we switch to a totally electronic library, those who can’t afford them will be disadvantaged. Another advantage that traditional books have is their ability to be shared. Many people love to share and loan books to others, so others may also experience thrilling stories and gain new knowledge. Most e-book software doesn’t allow book lending, and if they do, it’s very limited.

All in all, paper books are a tried and true method of reading that we can depend on. Just because electronic books are newer, doesn’t mean they’re better. Digital texts do have their advantages, but we shouldn’t ignore the advantages that traditional books have.