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The Benefits of
Reading in
PrintBy: Emma Keeler
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As technology
continues to
advance,
more and
more people
are relying on
the internet
for simple,
every day
tasks.
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Small, handheld devices
are being used to
capture moments, store
information, communicate,
and much more
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Consumers are able to purchase
commodities that will be
delivered right to their door…
…without leaving the
comfort of their home!
It is estimated that U.S.
online retail will
reach $370 billion by
2017, representing a
compound annual growth
rate of 10%1
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Among all adult Americans, 56% reported using a cell phone
and 29% reported using a tablet to access news
and 73% of the 39%
of Americans who
own or use a tablet
device2
That represents 78% of the 69% of
Americans who own a smartphone
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With this massive increase in the online
world, people still prefer to read
paper copiesof books
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Reading improves the mental health and well-being
of an individual, this is called bibliotherapy3.
Bibliotherapy (n.): Any form
of psychotherapy in which the reading
of prescribed texts forms an important
part of the therapeutic process4.
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Why are print
books so
therapeutic?
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The
TactileExperience
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Tactile (tac∙tile): relating to the sense of touch5
Readers have a certain expectation of how the reading
experience should feel,
“People expect books to look,
feel and even smell a certain
way; when they do not, reading
sometimes becomes less
enjoyable or even
unpleasant6”
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While there is no doubt
e-readers are
convenient, they failto adequately recreate
certain tactileexperiences of reading on
paper that many people
miss6.
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The
LearningExperience
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People enjoy reading on paper because spatio-
temporal markers make it easier to
remember what they read7.
Scrolling makes
remembering more
difficult.
People report that when
trying to locate a
particular piece of written
information they often
remember where in the
text it appeared6.
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Studies show that the problem with screen reading is more
psychological than technological7.
Subconsciously, many people may think of reading on a
computer or tablet as a less serious affair than reading on
paper6.
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87% of
textbooks
purchased by
students in
2014 were
print8
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The
Feelingof
Accomplishment
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Many people
enjoy being
able to gauge
visually how
far they are
in a novel;
how much
they’ve read,
and how
much they
still have to
read
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“Readers want to feel like they get some heft,
both physical and
intellectual, for their
money, and no one wants a
scrawny featherweightbook9”
Photo Source: Viktor Hanacek - PicJumbo
Many people do not feel much ownership of e-books
because of their impermanence and intangibility: "They think
of using an e-book, not owning an e-book6”
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When they really like
an electronic book,
they go out and get the
paper version6.
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In the words of Alter,
“reading has largely been a
solitary and private act, an
intimate exchange between
the reader and the words
on the page10”
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Although there is an increasing rise in
technology, the pleasure of reading a print book
is irreplaceable.
References (in order of appearance)
1. Mosteller, Jill, Naveen Donthu, and Sevgin Eroglu. "The Fluent Online Shopping Experience". Journal
of Business Research 67.11 (2014): 2486-2493. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
2. "How Americans Get Their News". American Press Institute (2014): n. pag. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
6. Jabr, Ferris. "The Reading Brain In The Digital Age: The Science Of Paper Versus Screens". Scientific American 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
7. Myrberg, Caroline and Ninna Wiberg. "Screen Vs. Paper: What Is The Difference For Reading And Learning". Insights 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
8. Bolkan, Joshua. "Survey: Most Students Prefer Traditional Texts Over E-Books". Campus Technology2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
9. Wayner, Peter. "What If Authors Were Paid Every Time Someone Turned A Page?". The Atlantic 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
10. Alter, Alexandra. "Your E-Book Is Reading You". Wall Street Journal (2012): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct. 2016
3. Matrix, Sidneyeve. "FILM 240 Module 03 Lecture 01". 2016. Presentation.
4. Colman, Andrew M. "Bibliotherapy". A Dictionary of Psychology 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
5. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.