WHAT’S BETTER, PAPER BOOKS OR E-BOOKS?

 An Overview in Context of Mental Health

Medical Research proves the countless mental health benefits of reading, yet still, most people are choosing screen time instead of picking up a book when it comes to entertaining themselves in leisure. Screens are replacing paper in nearly every aspect of communication, but is it good for our mental health?

Even in schools, gone are the days of buying those stretchy book covers for your heavy textbooks. Digital modalities of learning e.g., classroom apps, E-readers, and chat GPT are taking the lead, lightening the backpacks but burdening the mind with the challenge of staying on task and keeping yourself from diving into the sea of digital distractions.

Reading short blurbs on social media, as we scroll down those shorts, reels, and TikToks, not only inhibits our attention span so our brain becomes unable to digest those lengthy books, but it also waters down our vocabulary from a rich literature to a very casual conversational style of writing. Adding the cherry on top, distractions like social media scrolling, ads, and email notifications popping up while you are trying to focus, often hinder memory retention.

Physical books provide an immersive experience resulting in readers who recall and absorb the content efficiently. Holding the weight of the book in your hands, turning the pages, and highlighting your favorite passages, are all experienced in the body.

In fact, according to researchers, turning the pages as we read creates an index in the brain, mapping the words visually to a particular page. This is part of what allows the brain to retain information better when we read from a paper book.

In addition, reading paper books often offer a unique social experience that e-readers miss out on. Whether you are searching the shelves at a bookstore, sitting at a heated coffee shop with your favorite book and coffee in your hand on a chilly evening, or passing along a copy of a favorite book to a friend, interacting with fellow book-lovers, is one of the aspects of reading paper books most people enjoy. Downloading books onto your e-readers bypasses these opportunities.

It might be a necessity to walk along and stay updated with modern technology or just a personal preference, but the old school books will always hold a special place in our hearts.

 

Maryam Khan Grade VIII Aqua