Team eBooks vs. Team Printed Books, Which One Are You?
With spring coming, we can enjoy fragrant flowers and the crisp cool breeze. We hear the birds chirping and the kids playing on the streets. Then spring turns to summer, then fall, and then winter before the cycle repeats itself. Unlike the seasons, one thing remains constant for book lovers: a cozy place to lose themselves in a world full of possibilities.
In the words of Jorge Luis Borges, “I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” Reading books has become a status symbol among millennials. The more books one reads, the more they are taken seriously, as they should be.
Benefits of eBooks
Thanks to technology, we don’t need to physically carry books anymore. eBooks can be very convenient for the following reasons:
- Easily portable
We can read them on apps and across devices, anywhere and anytime.
- Instantly available
No need to wait for shipping or to make time to go to a book store.
- No late library fees
- Built-in dictionaries
- Font and text size customization
Drawbacks of eBooks
Despite all of these advantages, there is a flip side to eBooks too:
- When the power goes out or we otherwise don’t have electricity or internet, we cannot access eBooks
- Having dictionaries and ‘help’ buttons can be confusing and/or distracting. With waning attention spans, it is hard to focus on what we are reading if we have links and buttons all over the pages
- Reading words on a backlit surface puts strain on our eyes and brain. After working or studying all day on screens, watching videos, and attending virtual meetings, the last thing anyone needs is more screen time
- Restricted accessibility to general readership
In 2002, Google embarked on an ambitious book-digitizing project. Their stated goal was to give readers digital access to millions of in-copyright books. It would also create a new market for authors and publishers to sell their work. Additionally, the project would help library partners maintain their collections while making books more accessible to students, readers, and academic researchers. However, conscious visionaries and advocates are discontented with this program. They felt Google was setting up a wall around digitized books, restricting access to information and knowledge. Did they intend to let people buy and ‘own’ the books or have limited access to them because of the need to pay monthly subscription fees? Read more on restricted e-readership here.
Benefits of Printed Books
Physical books offer unique benefits eBooks cannot replace or replicate. Here are just a handful of them:
- The smell of a new book
- Written notes and thoughts on an old book passed down from generations
- Improved focus and memory retention
One of the main reasons for the last benefit, according to Anne Mangen, is: “The haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does, the fixity of a text on paper, and this very gradual unfolding of paper as you progress through a story is some kind of sensory offload, supporting the visual sense of progress when you’re reading.”
In a survey of 400 students between 18 and 26 years of age, 92-94% said they concentrate best when reading a printed book. Other studies showed people who read printed books tended to be more empathetic than those who read digital books. Read the research in more detail here.
How To Make Printed Books More Eco-Friendly
As far as the materials required for physical books, the process (creation process, binding, transportation, and disposal) can have a detrimental effect on the Earth.
There are ways to counter some of those effects with a community-based approach. Here are some ways:
- Joining ‘give a book, take a book’ programs
- Sharing copies of books with friends
- Buying used books
- Choosing eco-conscious vendors and stores
At Green Schools Green Future we understand no matter what we do, there is an environmental consequence. We encourage people to understand the pros and cons and trust them to make the appropriate decision.
To learn more about our project, click here. To support our cause, click here.
Sources:
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0812/e-books-vs.-print-books.aspx
https://medium.com/the-venture/the-old-books-are-better-than-e-books-debate-7b606072059b
https://thebestschools.org/magazine/real-books-vs-ebooks/
https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/paper-books-vs-ebooks-statistics/
