{"id":37565,"date":"2020-01-15T15:53:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T13:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learning-mind.com\/?p=37565"},"modified":"2022-10-08T17:07:29","modified_gmt":"2022-10-08T14:07:29","slug":"ebooks-vs-printed-books-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learning-mind.com\/ebooks-vs-printed-books-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Ebooks vs Printed Books: Which Are Better for Your Brain, According to Science?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Book enthusiasts have long defended the benefits of the printed word over ebooks<\/strong>. Yet, the arguments are frequently centered on the look and feel of a book.<\/p>\n In a world where much of our lives are conducted on a screen, the arguments for the benefits of a printed book over an ebook<\/strong> are increasingly focusing on the benefits the former have on our brain.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re on the fence when it comes to a preference over ebooks vs printed books<\/em>, this article intends to look at the science behind the debate.<\/p>\n With a printed book, you simply have the pages in front of you and nothing else. Whereas, with an ebook, there are multiple temptations at your fingertips<\/strong>. Your e-reader might allow you to look up definitions of words, browse other readers comments on the book, or have a browse option that allows you to search the internet.<\/p>\n A study conducted at American University<\/a> found that 92% of those surveyed found that they concentrated better when reading the printed word over an e-version. A printed book, therefore, encourages us to read more carefully and helps our brain to hold focus on the task in hand.<\/p>\n Whether you use an ebook to read or download titles on your phone or tablet, research has shown that reading on a screen alters the way our brain views the text<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Professor Ziming Liu, from San Jose State University, refers<\/a> to \u2018screen-based reading behavior\u2019 which constitutes the tendency to browse and scan a text rather than practice in-depth and concentrated reading as we do with printed books.<\/p>\n The consequence of foregoing in-depth reading has been the focus of further studies. Maryanne Wolf<\/a>, in her work on the evolution of the reading brain, has explored the impact reading digital text has on the cognitive functions<\/a> we draw upon when reading.<\/p>\n While she recognizes that we still know very little about the digital reading brain, she laments the possible loss of \u2018deep reading<\/a>\u2019 which printed text facilitates.<\/p>\n Another strong argument in the ebooks vs printed books debate is the capacity with which we absorb information<\/a> from the printed word over its digital counterpart. Unsurprisingly, as printed books help to hold our attention<\/strong> and trigger more concentrated reading, we are better able to absorb and retain more information from them.<\/p>\n A study conducted at Stavanger University in Norway<\/a> gave 50 readers the same short story to read, with half the readers using a Kindle to read the story and half reading from a printed book. Participants were then tested on their ability to remember certain aspects of the story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The results found that those that read the story on a Kindle found it significantly harder to reconstruct the plot when asked to.<\/p>\n Printed books not only help us to draw on more cognitive resources, they draw on our emotional responses<\/strong> as well. Similar to the point about keeping our attention, printed books<\/a> are said to help the reader to be more emotionally absorbed in the book<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAre printed books better for your brain than ebooks and why?<\/h2>\n
5 reasons why printed books are better for your brain<\/h3>\n
1. They keep your attention<\/h4>\n
2. Ebooks encourage us to skim read<\/h4>\n
3. Printed books help us to absorb and retain more information<\/h4>\n
4. Printed books help us to be more emotionally engaged<\/h4>\n