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Print Books Versus Digital Books Essay examples

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New electronics and programs, such as Twitter, Facebook, or the newest iPhone, are often associated with the younger generation. However, when it comes to reading, kids and teens are not always quick to turn to a Nook or a Kindle, devices designed for digital reading and allowing the purchase of electronic books, more commonly referred to as ebooks. Print books prove more beneficial than digital books in that they allow one to better retain and comprehend the material, and cause a lower amount of eye fatigue. One may not originally perceive the differences between these two forms of reading, but when scrutinized several advantages and risks emerge, some capable of causing physical damage, albeit without one’s knowledge. Print books …show more content…

The lack of corporeal pages in an ebook does not allow the brain to develop adequate spatial awareness, and therefore is not fully able to retain the order of events and circumstances in which these take place. This provides little visible benefit as opposed to the increased memory attained through reading print books (Fenlon). As well as allowing further remembrance of a book, print texts additionally permit one to comprehend the given information in a greater sense. This advantage also results from the spatial awareness the physical presence a print book provides. The tactile feeling of paper further immerses the reader into the work, creating a more intensive neurological experience, and allowing for a more concentrated learning environment. A research study published in the International Journal of Education Research illustrates the varying effects on comprehension between print texts and digital texts. In this study, one set of students read an excerpt from a print book, whereas a second set of students read the same excerpt in digital format. Subsequently, both sets of students took an identical reading comprehension test. Results depicted significantly higher comprehension scores from the students who read the print passages rather than the digital excerpts. Several similar studies have generally displayed analogous results (Bilton). Therefore, the physical

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