Just when I begin to think that things are settling down in the print v. digital battle of the books an article like that at The Washington Post shows up and declares that online reading is making it harder for people to read books. Then there is the ensuing back and forth kerfuffle. I roll my eyes and vow to not read any of it but I am like a moth to the flame and can’t help myself.
I always find myself wondering who are these people who suddenly find they can’t read books any longer? And why do they always blame the internet? Good gracious people, it’s not the internet, it’s you. We all have a choice in what we read. If a person spends so much time online clicking and skimming and doesn’t devote much time to actually reading books, well, yeah, I can see how one could find it difficult to reorient one’s habits to take in a book. But if a person spends regular time reading books or other long-form writing I can imagine they don’t have any problems. But of course the media makes a fuss about those other people, the ones who suddenly can no longer read a novel.
See what this does to me? Someone snuff the candle so poor little moth-me can get away!
Now Wired of all places has a long article summing up the whole tennis match to date and comes pretty close to awarding the winner’s trophy to print. Who’d a thunk it? An online tech magazine declaring that paper books just might be superior after all. Of course, don’t read the comments on the article, those will just get you stirred up. I managed to stop before I got too upset.
I really must figure out a way to avoid seeing articles about the print/digital debate. I wonder if I can somehow hack one of those adult content blockers to work on these kinds of articles?
But they do pose an important question, especially the differences between the two types of reading experiences. Are they different and if so, in what way? You are aware of the research on these questions and some of it suggests limitations on recall and comprehension of digital reading.
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Richard, yes, I agree, there are important differences between the experiences to work out. Yeah, I’ve read several articles and studies about the limitations on recall and comprehension. It seems to be not limited to just reading either. I saw something recently in the Chronicle of Higher Ed I think it was that indicates notetaking on a computer hurts student comprehension. Apparently when you are typing you tend to just transcribe what you hear without thinking about it but when you are writing you have to listen and think and summarize the information which makes it stick in the brain better. What I always object to in the digital/print debate is the extremes on both sides that say theirs is the best and only way. I’m in the grey middle and say both have their advantages, it just depends on your purpose and goal.
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Rarely do I attach the word ‘silly’ to something, but the whole argument between print vs digital is silly. I’ll admit I am a fan of e readers do to their convenience, but I don’t tell people it’s the second coming of books. It’s what’s in the books that matter, not their medium.
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Albedosrighthand, yes, I agree. I like my Kindle very much for its convenience but I also like print books too for a variety of reasons. I like having the format option. Content is indeed more important in my opinion.
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Your second paragraph sums up my thoughts so well. Reading books is like any other skill – you have to do it to stay in practice.
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kghia, exactly! I think people don’t think of reading books as a skill but it totally is and if it isn’t something you practice regularly of course it is going to be harder.
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Working in a newspaper industry, i’m drawn to the print vs. digital debate too, but on a different note. The debate can be silly, especially now given that the two mediums are still doing fine, but as someone with a wild imagination and likes to try and invasion the future, you can’t help but wonder what will happen when all of natural resources die off. Of course I don’t think that’s going to happen in our lifetime.
Still, it’s a question i pose to myself every once in a while (especially when writing a futuristic sic fi novel, to try and figure out if paper books still exist or not). Books will always exist, as they are stories, manuals, education resources, etc, it’s just how they will be displayed that is up in the air at the moment.
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Online debates about such things are really enticing. I find myself going from site to site. “Maybe this article will look at this issue from an interesting/different angle.” And the comments are the most enticing. I just have to read them.
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Not only this, on my drive home from work last night, a radio program was discussing new developments with graphine [basically, pencil lead] where they are trying to invent electronic print that can be folded up like a newspaper. In other words, some people apparently are finding even Kindle etc., to be “too bulky” — you can’t FOLD IT!
Ye gods! What comes after that? Books that you can swallow in a pill? Or maybe inject with a syringe, so you don’t have to read it with your eyes at all?
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Oops, I misspelled it. It’s “graphene”, not graphine.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/et-cetera/new-2-d-material-better-than-graphene/articleshow/34689204.cms
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I read that Wired article after a friend sent it to me. Wasn’t it a post of yours that mentioned the “mapping” phenomena that happens when one reads a paper book rather than an ebook? (Or do I just attribute every interesting fact about reading to your blog?) Anyhoo, I like both print and digital, but prefer print.
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Honestly, I’m done with this debate myself. As long as I can read paper books, and use my iPad for the freebies that come my way via cyberspace, I’m happy. I do get a bit frustrated when a new book by a new author (mostly self-published) is only available as an ebook as I prefer paper.
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They just like stirring the pot, I think! 🙂 I am happy to have both as well–I have lots of magazines on my work ipad and even a few books but I tend to reach for paper books for most of my reading time. Of course it is nice to tilt the ipad and read from it hands free at lunchtime…. In any case there is just not enough time for reading in general (of either kind!).
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I resisted getting an e-reader because I couldn’t imagine that the experience would be as good as reading paper pages. Now, of course, I appreciate both and love my Kindle dearly. I do find it more satisfying to check back and forth within a book with real pages, though. In spite of bookmarks and highlighting on the Kindle when I love flipping back through real books looking for something to refresh my memory or understanding of something that puzzles me.
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