When I was young, pop-up books were the coolest things in the world. I was astonished by how a 3D illustration of the story would appear every time I flipped the page. Some books even came with a feature on the side of the front cover that would narrate the story—like an audiobook for children. Even though the books were usually sticky, drawn over, and torn, the enjoyment of interacting with the book stuck with me.
With society’s increasing reliance on technology, everything has become digitized, including books. Now, 50% of adults own an e-book reading device like the Kindle. Stories that once lived on shelves now hide behind fluorescent screens and endless scrolls. Despite how convenient digital reading may be, physical books are far superior as they encourage increased focus, promote stronger comprehension, and foster a more meaningful and distraction-free connection to the story.
One thing that hard-copy books offer that e-books don’t is presence. Small things such as the weight of the book or even the smell of the book can contribute to a deeper connection with the text. Tangible books demand attention, and as a result, information can be absorbed six to eight times better. Research concluded that tangible pages also create higher spatial awareness; as we read, we create mental landmarks as to where certain details are (for example, “it was on the bottom right”). Screens diminish text into endless scrolling and hinder the brain’s ability to create these mental landmarks. This contributes to a phenomenon scientists call the “screen inferiority effect.” Because e-readers incentivize skimming and divided attention, the overall immersive reading experience is gone. Furthermore, a study published in Reading Research Quarterly found that readers who read literature on paper reported stronger emotional responses and more profound insights than those who digitally read the same text.
Granted, digital reading is more convenient, as it allows one to carry thousands of books in a single device. Yet digital reading lacks one key component: accessibility. Around 36% of the world population and “60% of primary schools, half of lower secondary and a third of upper secondary schools globally” (UNESCO) remain without internet access. While electronics provide an opportune way for reading, physical copies are universally available, especially in public libraries, requiring no electricity or online connection.
As the world continues to be increasingly dominated by technology, it is worth reconsidering the trade-off of abandoning physical books for digital ones. Pages turn into pixels, and the quiet intimacy of reading starts to collect dust on shelves. Returning to traditional stories could strengthen concentration, support comprehension, and enrich the overall reading experience.
