I recently read an article by Petra Stock, entitled "Streaming Stories: Will Children’s Digital Book Platforms Upend Print", an interesting discussion comparing ebooks and print media and the ways they are being used during and post COVID.
Which is better according to the article? Well, there is a clear winner; however, like many things, the answer can depend on the situation. I'd like to break elements of the article down, along with my own thoughts and compare the two.
Social connectivity
When print books are read to young children, there is a social connectivity, that is less present than when digital texts are read. This continues in school, where students will read with their class or teacher, digital texts are more likely to be an independent experience.
Winner: Print
Screen time
One of the greatest concerns among parents is the amount of screen time children have today; while digital books may be “guilt free” screen time, it is nonetheless still time on a screen.
Winner: Print
Comprehension
All things being equal, where a book has the illustrations and text scanned to a digital format; studies have shown that readers who engage with print, read with greater concentration and deeper understanding, whereas reading on a screen tends toward quick shallow scanning behaviour.
Winner: Print
Interactivity
Where a book has been designed for digital consumption or has added features, such as interactivity, animation, music and so on, readers may engage more closely with the text, these books have the potential to improve learning.
Winner: Digital
Dynamic
Print books, once printed are static, you cannot change the font, the background, or the text size. Digital books have accessibility features built in so that you can tailor the experience to your own personal tastes or needs in a given situation. Some ebooks also have the capacity to supply a reader to the text.
Winner: Digital
Physicality
Physical books have the opportunity to play with size and physicality in way that digital texts cannot. A digital text presents everything at the size of the screen you are using, and, while you may be able to zoom in and out, you are changing the whole page. Where a physical book about “tiny things” could be printed in a tiny size or vice versa.
Winner: Print
Convenience
The majority of people carry the capacity to read digitally with them everywhere they go, as a phone, tablet or laptop can be used to read books, and not just one, there is access to almost limitless digital texts online. I could easily carry the entire ‘Wheel of Time’ on my phone, a task I would struggle with in print.
Winner: Digital
Preference
Despite lockdowns during the pandemic, paperbook sales for 2020 – 2021 were approximately 66 million, an 8% rise over the previous years. There is just something, almost theatrical about reading a book, holding it in your hands, engaging your sense of touch, smell and sight. Paperbacks have proven to be the most popular format for readers, followed by hardback and then electronic forms.
Winner: Print
While print, is the clear winner in the article, if you enjoy an e-book, or find it more convenient to carry, or listen to an audiobook while doing other tasks, please don’t feel like these are bad or less desirable. Reading is reading, and reading is good! Perhaps, though, mix it up a bit and try a physical book, visit your library, an op-shop or bookstore. Compare your experiences, engage with both, you may just find a new way to experience and engage with reading.
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