I think everyone should learn to read books. And that everyone should be entitled to some uninterrupted time. Here are some interesting thoughts on the topic.
Technology can be a wonderful thing, but it can go too far. E-books are ok, I guess, and they can have their place. I've read some stories on the computer, and still managed to enjoy the story.
But I'm a book guy. The printed page and its textures, scents and immersiveness (is that a word?) cannot be replicated. Curling up in bed or on my favorite recliner with a Kindle just can't compete with the physicality of a good book.
I have to imagine that there are some physiological limits on our ability to engage in parallel processing and to endure distraction. I hope that the pendulum swings back in the other direction soon.
I hope so, too. Even without the added distractions of ads and assorted apps, reading a pdf was nowhere near as easy as it is in paper form. When I get sucked into a book, I can flip page after page without being consciously aware of doing so. My eyes just keep following the words, since turning the page is done by feel. But on the computer, scrolling and making sure the curser is in the right place to go to the next page keeps pulling me out of the text. Maybe on a e-reader the experience would be more fluid. But on the laptop, it is very hard to keep the deeper engagement with stories. My eyes do have a tendency to skip and skim over words on the screen. Books are also more cuddly for late night reading.
I like the computer for writing and research. But I'll take paper editions any day for reading and starting conversations about what I'm reading. Like when I took my new copy of Green Rider to work on Saturday and two of my co-workers lit up, telling how much they liked it and giving me recommendations for others they liked.
Hmmm...interesting.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be a wonderful thing, but it can go too far. E-books are ok, I guess, and they can have their place. I've read some stories on the computer, and still managed to enjoy the story.
But I'm a book guy. The printed page and its textures, scents and immersiveness (is that a word?) cannot be replicated. Curling up in bed or on my favorite recliner with a Kindle just can't compete with the physicality of a good book.
I have to imagine that there are some physiological limits on our ability to engage in parallel processing and to endure distraction. I hope that the pendulum swings back in the other direction soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, too. Even without the added distractions of ads and assorted apps, reading a pdf was nowhere near as easy as it is in paper form. When I get sucked into a book, I can flip page after page without being consciously aware of doing so. My eyes just keep following the words, since turning the page is done by feel. But on the computer, scrolling and making sure the curser is in the right place to go to the next page keeps pulling me out of the text. Maybe on a e-reader the experience would be more fluid. But on the laptop, it is very hard to keep the deeper engagement with stories. My eyes do have a tendency to skip and skim over words on the screen. Books are also more cuddly for late night reading.
ReplyDeleteI like the computer for writing and research. But I'll take paper editions any day for reading and starting conversations about what I'm reading. Like when I took my new copy of Green Rider to work on Saturday and two of my co-workers lit up, telling how much they liked it and giving me recommendations for others they liked.