Tag Archives: Paper vs. pixels

The article, From Papers to Pixels, by Jabr had a convincing argument that reading from paper is more beneficial for comprehension, remembering the text, and for eyesight. However, after reading what Badke wrote in his book about the ease of access that getting information from online sources provide, it was difficult for me to really choose which format is better to use. I used to only be able to read from books because I love the feel of turning the page and the way the text looks on the paper. Then at some point in my life I started to get into novels that I could not get access to in book form such as foreign books written in another language. I had to rely on reading those books from my tablet because there was no other way for me at the time, also my room was filling up with books and I had nowhere to put them. After getting a while of reading on a screen I noticed that I did not miss reading from paper books anymore. I don’t mind an actual book and I still love the feeling of it, but my enjoyment of the actual story was more important than the format in the end. Having an ebook makes the novel easily accessible and more convenient to use even in the tightest spots, such as the subway trains during rush hour. I will admit that my eyes start to burn after hours of intense reading, but I just end up taking a break at that point. I conclude that although reading from a paper book is the best way to obtain information and keep your eyesight at 20/20, the accessibility of novels in this age and in this bustling city is more important.