Ferris Jabr delivers a stimulating analysis of paper versus on-screen reading in his article “Why the Brain Prefers Paper,” which originally appeared in the popular American science magazine, the Scientific American. As a strong opponent of reading from any type of screen, I was delighted in this article’s confirmation that I am not alone.
Now…allow me to summarize Jabr’s words to highlight my hatred for on-screen reading…as you ironically do just that by reading this post.
Jabr hits upon the two main reasons I see reading from a screen as the inferior to its paper counterpart:
Which Would You Reach For? Image Taken From: Record-Eagle.com
1. In the words of Jabr, reading from a traditional book, magazine, or newspaper provides a more “tactile experience” than does reading from a screen.
2. Staring endlessly at a screen for hours (as many poor, stressed-out college students are so relentlessly forced to do) takes a SERIOUS TOLL ON HUMAN HEALTH!
This piece did more than just support my already-existent opinions about reading from a screen. A simple sentence at the end of the article triggered my opinion to strengthen tremendously. The quote made me consider an entirely new reason to consider paper superior to the screen. Consider this my 3rd and final opinion on the matter. I’ll elaborate on all three…
- The “Tactile Experience”
In the article, Jabr states, “…and e-readers fail to re-create certain tactile experiences of reading on paper, the absence which some find unsettling.”
Me enjoying Jabr’s article by physically holding my copy of The Best American Science and Nature Writing
I am, undoubtedly, part of that “some” who find the absence of reading from paper to be unsettling. If a piece of writing on screen comes equipped with a scroll bar to its right – forget it. Immediate anxiety. I feel like my reading experience is a rush to the end of the scroll bar. I can’t focus. If the reading appears along flash advertisements, or links to external sites, I’m looking at those. Essentially, I’m doing anything I possibly can to get to the end of that scroll bar, while failing to fully grasp the content of the reading in the process.
However, when I’m holding a book, newspaper, or magazine in my hand, I feel secure and in touch with the text I’m absorbing. I can highlight and scribble notes by important points. If I get restless from reading, I can bookmark, or jot a note about my stoppingpoint. There’s no flashy ads on the paper begging for my attention. Most importantly, I can see and feel how far I’ve advanced in the reading by experiencing the weight of the paper between my hands.
In another piece from the article, Jabr states in words better than I would ever be capable of: ” “Turning the pages of a paper book is like leaving one footprint after another on a trail – there is rhythm to it and a visible record of how far one has traveled.”
- Health Problems (They do exist…take it from a survivor)
Jabr also states that although the modern LCD (liquid-crystal-display) screens used for recent computers and tablets are a huge improvement to their CRT (cathode-ray tube) predecessors, “prolonged reading on glossy, self-illuminated screens can cause eye strains, headaches, and blurred vision.”
My Poor, Strained Eyes Just Before Thanksgiving Break Last Fall
Emphasis on the eye strains. I spent a lot of my time last semester (Fall 2014) staring at my computer screen while studying for a course whose exam material existed largely as online readings. In the essence of time, and semester-print-sheet limits, I found it impossible to print every assigned reading.
Mid-semester, I noticed my eyes starting to burn around 11 each night following hours spent staring at my screen. By Thanksgiving, my eyes were so strained, cracked, and dry that I spent the first Saturday of break in the optometrist’s office. Only through several medications did my eyes finally heal from the strain the computer had placed on them. I was happy Jabr touched upon this issue of screen-related eye strain (and headaches and blurred vision), but his mention was brief. There are really some interesting, (3) recent studies that have been done proving the detriments of too much on-screen reading.
- The “Modesty” of Paper…?
Perhaps my favorite quote from this article came toward the end, when Jabr stated: “Such preliminary research on early readers underscores a quality of paper that may be its greatest strength as a reading medium: its modesty.”
Instantly, I was intrigued to know what Jabr meant by paper being “modest”. Reading on, I learned that this was an excellent word choice. Jabr meant that paper does not boast the level of interactivity that digital materials can offer. It is simply paper, and offers only the words on its page – leaving no room for distractions. In this way, reading from paper is truly an honest experience.
Final Remarks
While tablet enthusiasts depend on their pinching-to-zoom, swiping to page-turn, illuminated-screen style-of-reading, I’ll stick to my book, my magazine, my newspaper. I’ll save my eyes the strain whenever possible. I’ll enjoy the distraction-free modesty that paper personifies.
My brain definitely prefers paper.
Why the Brains of New Generations might NOT Prefer Paper
See below to watch the hilarious video that Jabr mentions at the start of the article (and perhaps his inspiration for this piece). This 1 year old girl pinches and grabs at a paper magazine, perplexed as to why it is not making the page turn, or the images enlarge.
This video was posted by the father’s child on his YouTube account: “UserExperiencesWorks”.
Great job weaving your own observations and experiences together with quotes from the reading. I’m sorry to hear about your eye problems from last fall’s class (I can relate–grading the blog/websites as well as submissions for my online course is taking a toll on my eyes), and interested to read your WebMD source on CVS. Love the picture of you reading BASNW on paper! Great job using design features to increase the readability of your own online writing.
Interesting take on having the scroll bar on the right giving you anxiety. I feel the same way when I’m reading a book though. I leave my hand at the end of the chapter to make sure how much more I have to read and so my reading isn’t based on what I’m reading but more so how far until I’m done.
I totally agree that health problems occur from staring at a computer screen or any electronic screen for too long. I’ve felt the same way by staring at the same screen for hours and hours and eventually I’ve needed glasses.
I think that the modest idea is a different way to think about it. I think that reading on the computer leaves you vulnerable to browsing the internet and being distracted easily but nowadays we have our own personal gadgets like phones, tablets, etc. that even if you were reading on paper, you could get distracted by a text message.
That youtube video is laugh out loud funny. It is hilarious seeing that baby thinking the magazine was broken and wanting to zoom in and swipe through the magazine.