Why you should read physical books instead of e-books.

According to the NOP World Culture Score Index, the United States of America is number twenty-two on the list of countries who read the most. On an average Americans spend just five hours-less than the average reading books.

That’s just 300 minutes per week—you could say, 300 chances to learn a new skill, to reduce stress, improve analytical thinking, vocabulary, and memory skills.

But with our modern technology, and our modern values, we tend to prioritize things a bit differently. Technology has made a huge dent in the world of books, with ebooks and audiobooks now becoming more immersive than ever, and catering to those who, in the past, may not have been able to access books easily.

Ebooks have their plus points. They are easily accessible, often costing as little as one dollar, and don’t take up any space at all because the library is all online. But while those are all great reasons to pick up an ebook, there are minus points to be aware of when deciding to pick up an e-book rather than a physical book.

According to findings published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, blue light, the wavelength common in smartphones, tablets and LED lighting, is able to disrupt the body clock and slow or prevent the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

The use of light-emitting electronic devices for reading, communication, and entertainment has greatly increased recently.

The study found that the use of these devices before bedtime prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, delays the circadian clock, suppresses levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep, and reduces alertness the following morning.

Of 12 people locked in a sleep laboratory for two weeks, researchers found melatonin was reduced by reading an e-book, and readers took longer to fall asleep, had less deep sleep and were more tired the next morning in comparison to when they read a printed book. The results were concluded after participants spent five days reading from a paperback and five days from an iPad.

Lead researcher Prof Charles Czeisler concluded that the melatonin suppression seen in the participants was concerning, and sleep deprivation caused by those lowered melatonin levels has been shown to increase the risk pf cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes, and cancer.

But its not just your body clock that is affected by ebooks.

According to an article by CustomMade, producing one e-reader extracts approximately 33 pounds of minerals, including some toxic and conflict minerals, many of which are mined in underprivileged, war-torn countries. It also uses up to 79 gallons of water and produces a large amount of waste, which is dumped in landfills. An e-reader’s manufacturing process consumes approximately 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels and produces more than 65 pounds of carbon dioxide.

E-reader production also utilizes toxic chemicals, which result in toxic emissions that can make asthma worse and increase the risk of premature death.

Electronic waste is a growing problem that e-readers add to. If an e-reader isn’t properly recycled, then the people doing the recycling will be exposed to numerous toxic substances. Dumping electronic waste also takes a toll on ecosystems.

While physical books have their own cons as well, the effects they have on the mind are tremendous.

According to an article on Mind Floss, reading physical books has been proven to make you more likely to absorb more information. Scientists believe that this is related to the tactile effect of the sensation of the book in your hands. From the article: “Seeing and feeling how much progress you’ve made in the story, by virtue of the waxing and waning pages on either side of the book, can help readers feel like they’re unfolding the story—both literally and figuratively.”

Digital readers tend to spend more time scanning for keywords than actually processing what they’re reading. According to one survey, 67 percent of university students were able to multitask while reading digitally, compared to 41 percent of print readers. This isn’t neccesarly a good thing if your goal is to absorb the information you’re reading fully.

Let’s recap:

I have used a mix of statistics and facts to explain to you how e-books are doing harm to both our bodies, the environment and the mind.

I have also pointed out the benefits of reading physical books

I hope that in doing so I have armed you with the right information to help you understand the benefits and disadvantages of e-books, and the effects that they have on our world, and to help preserve the beauty of reading while understanding that there negative effects to reading in certain formats.

References

· The Bookseller

· Examined Existence

· Elytus

· CustomMade

· Mind Floss