As the digital world progresses and overshadows older traditions of paper and pen, society looks to the ramifications of this digital world. One of the most impactful digital changes is reading. With the invention of E-Books, digital subscriptions, and Kindles, many people may not even know where their local library is located. Various people debate the merits of this change and whether it is good, bad, or worth it to go digital. 

Digital reading holds many advantages over paper reading. According to Librarian By Day, e-Books, are built for traveling and easy reading. Their compact size ensures portability, while their extensive storage allows for hundreds of books to be saved at once. The digital features of e-Books guarantee immediate online transactions, self-returning library books, and screen and text options for people with varying disabilities. Senior Thomas Davies says that “first off, you do not have to go into the store to get them. Also, they take up less space. On a Kindle, you have all your books there, while if you have them in physical, you have to carry them around. You can also read them more. When it is dark, you can read them, while you have to carry a light around for physical books.” Perhaps one of the most well-known advantages of digital reading is their positive effect on the environment. The New York Times states that “printed books have the highest per-unit carbon footprint – which includes its raw materials, paper production, printing, shipping, and disposal – in the publishing sector. ‘In the case of a book bought at a bookstore,’ Ms. Ritch [a member of the Cleantech Group] said, Cleantech’s measurement ‘takes into account the fossil fuels necessary to deliver to the bookstore and the fact that 25-36 percent of those books are then returned to the publisher, burning more fossil fuels . The caveat to this green solution is that e-Books only reduce the carbon footprint if “publishers print fewer books in anticipation of e-Book sales.” 

However, digital reading also offers many disadvantages. According to the National Library, “Reading online results in lower understanding and less critical reflection.” While reading digitally, people are prone to multitasking, distraction, scanning, keyword spotting, and one-time reading. Digital reading results in a lack of comprehension, ultimately forcing the reader to establish a basic knowledge and understanding of the book. Junior Kylah Rajan says, “[With e-Books] it is harder to connect with what you are reading.” Digital reading also possesses many biological implications. One of these drawbacks is the inability to sleep. CBS News describes how artificial light can damage a person’s ability to sleep: “Reading an e-book before bedtime decreased the production of melatonin, a hormone that preps the body for sleep. E-books also impaired alertness the following day.” By obstructing sleep, digital reading negatively impacts health, ensuring that a basic survival function is difficult to meet. Furthermore, digital reading is changing the brain’s evolution. The National Library says that “their adaptation to a fast-paced digital world may be changing their brains and influencing their ability to develop these skills. The very plasticity of our brain – the ability to respond and adapt to our environment and its challenges – that has kept our species alive for millennia also encourages it to take on the characteristics of whatever medium it is reading on.” Therefore, if the brain is used to an environment where everything is fast-paced and requires little attention, then when the same brain is put in an environment where concentration is necessary, the brain will fail. These functions are a direct result of digital reading. However, if digital reading was overshadowed by physical reading, then the results of reading may change. When considering the pros and cons of digital reading, one must also consider its comparison to physical reading.  

While comprehension and connection are one of the principal disadvantages for digital reading, they are the foremost advantages for physical reading. CBS News suggests that reading on paper boosts content retention and focus. “When you read on paper you can sense with your fingers a pile of pages on the left growing, and shrinking on the right… you have the tactile sense of progress… Perhaps, this somehow aids the reader, providing more fixity and solidity to the reader’s sense of unfolding and progress of the text…” Physical reading paves the way for deep processing, critical analysis, thematic understanding (moral lessons), and empathy development. Overall, people have an increased ability to connect with text, allowing them to take away critical and emotional lessons. Furthermore, paper reading is easier on the eyes, allowing the reader to attain more sleep and be alert the next day. Sophomore Audrey Short says, “[The advantage of digital reading] is a retention thing. In my experience, you can flip back through pages, and it is easier to access different parts, especially if you are trying to read something thoroughly and are constantly re-reading the same chapter. Having the book in front of you also allows you to remember the title.”  

The downsides of physical reading are often well-known. Paper reading is a drain on natural resources and increases the amount of fossil fuels in the environment. Davies comments that “[paper books] use up trees and they are harder to produce than e-Books.” Paper books are also often expensive and unappealing to technologically surrounded generations. Paper books are also geared towards one type of vision and cannot accommodate those with disabilities.  

However, what ultimately decides a reader’s affinity for paper or digital books may be a conglomeration of factors. One of these components may be past experiences and the environment in which they were raised. For many people, paper reading offers a nostalgia factor; the sensory experiences while reading a book (the smell, touch, and look) provoke memories of other books and reminiscence of childhood classics. But for others, growing up in a digital world has fostered a love of convenient technology and this may result in a preference for digital books. And for certain generations, it is also a question of how much to read. Major events such as COVID have also impacted reading preferences. Freshman Evan Nevils says that “I read a lot more [during COVID] because there was not that much else to do.” When there is not an excess amount of time, reading decisions often come down to a simple solution: Nevils says that “I prefer physical books because they are easier to read.” A reader’s preference may also be determined by what they want to acquire from reading. Short says, “Overall, if the intention is to learn, understand, and familiarize [oneself] with the content… and have an experience with the book, then a physical book is the best choice.” Ultimately, readers may prefer one style of reading over another or they may create a bi-literate brain. Combining the best components of each reading style will result in a solution in which people can read both digital and physical books and determine what really helps us read.