The Power of the Page

Quick! The zombie apocalypse has started! What do you do?

A. Throw your iPad, Kindle, or electronic reading device in your backpack and run for it.

Or…

B. Panic trying to narrow down the number of books that you can actually carry and end up stashing as many as you can in your parents’ locked safe in the basement?

If you’re anything like me, then you’d be frantically pacing back and forth in front of your bookshelves completely at a loss for how to pick those precious few books that could come with you. E-readers are handy, yes, but we all know that in a zombie apocalypse you’d eventually have no way to charge it. Bummer right? Well guess what? Turns out that even science kinda backs up my feelings that the printed page trumps the screen!

Check this out: according to a report by Wired, our brains remember what we’ve read better when it’s read on paper and not just digital. There’s something about the physical feeling of the pages under our fingers, the physicality of the words in actual ink, that lets them sink deeper into our minds (Wise, 2019). Or as one journalist put it, “What I've read on screen seems slippery... When I later recall it, the text is slightly translucent in my mind's eye.” Electronic reading also lends itself to a shorter attention span. Think of scanning through social media posts or scrolling past articles you’re quickly deciding aren’t what you want. Deep reading, the art of reading slowly to fully process and engage with what you are absorbing, is an activity best suited for traditional books (Why real books are superior to e-books, 2021). 

Here’s another perk from the page. When you read an actual book, it lowers your stress levels (one study shows that it might lower stress by as much as 68%) and helps you to sleep better. Using a screen to read late at night, especially right before you go to bed, can mess with your circadian rhythms and make it harder for you to fall asleep or stay asleep (Wise, 2019). 

Still on the fence about good old books? Here’s a few lightning fast points that might be just what you need to see the light (Why real books are superior to e-books, 2021):

• You can physically see and feel your progress when you read through a book.

• Writing in the margins, underlining, and highlighting on paper all help increase your engagement with what it is you are reading. 

• Eye strain is way less likely to happen with a book than with an e-reader. 

• Used book stores. Is there anything as magical as the sight of floor to ceiling books? 

• Reading a physical book can create a lasting impression in your memory, a memory where you’ll always recall that specific cover, the weight of the book, and where you were when you were reading it. Seeing the book on your bookshelf reinforces that good memory. 

And if none of that sways you, well, just remember that you’ll always be able to do way more zombie damage with a big old book than a kindle!

References:

Wise, A. (2019). 8 Science-backed benefits of reading a (real) book. Real Simple. Retrieved from https://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/benefits-of-reading-real-books.

Why real books are superior to e-books. (2021). The Best Schools. Retrieved from https://thebestschools.org/magazine/real-books-superior-ebooks/.

Challenges/Points:

• Reading is a valuable hobby, but the way we read has a direct effect on us. Not all methods are created equal.   

• When we read on a screen, our brains don’t retain the material as much. Screens are useful for short term research or lazy, relaxed reading, but the printed word on paper is best for really absorbing a story or information. 

• Scientists are starting to find research that backs up the value of hard copy books. Turning the pages will help you transition to sleeping at the end of the night where a screen would mess with your circadian rhythms and influence your ability to sleep. 

Questions:

• Which method do you tend to use the most when you read: screen or paper? 

• If you are getting a lot of screen time lately due to the way your school or work has adapted to COVID-19, can you commit to reading from a printed page every night before bed as a way to wind down? 

• What’s one way you can cut down on the amount of reading you do on a screen?

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