Column: Reading changes our minds, especially through print books

As a school volunteer, I was recently only a little surprised to learn that digital textbooks are the norm for many courses. While packing up hundreds of print textbooks to ship to the Philippines, I wondered how much those books cost, how much course content had changed since the books were published, and why some looked new or barely used. Was the reliance on computers an educational, monetary or convenience decision?

In the middle of my 43 years as a high school educator, large computers appeared, which over time became smaller, personal and ubiquitous. The death of the printed book was predicted as if it were past its best-by date. I was dismayed when students began to rely primarily on computers for research. Yes, I do understand the advantages of copying, pasting and easily generating citations.

I asked myself, “Am I just an old fogey unable to cope?” Recalling all of the educational changes that teachers of my generation experienced, I rejected that notion. In addition to ever-changing technology, our entire careers were chock-full of change, including changing pedagogy.

To explain my preference for print, I sought science. Yes, I used a computer for research but printed relevant articles for reference. I discovered that when asked, people often say they just like the look and feel of a book in their hands. However, for our brains, printed books are better for many reasons.

When reading print books, we understand and retain more information. With eBooks, distractions are just one click away and disrupt focus. “Screen-based reading behavior” includes browsing and skimming instead of reading in-depth as with printed books, which keep us focused and attentive.

Reading digital text affects cognitive functions, including the loss of “deep reading.” Print books are also easier on the eyes. Do you know anyone who walks away from a computer or other digital device every 20 minutes as prescribed?

Print books hold our attention, promote concentrated reading, and are more emotionally absorbing as they awake multiple senses — feel, smell and sight. Children have lower comprehension when parents read to them from an eBook; the digital reader is a distraction.

Students themselves prefer printed textbooks. Four out of 5 students prefer reading print for long passages, and 94% say they concentrate better using print. Over 72% of students have trouble focusing on homework on a computer or tablet, and 93% of college students agree that paper is essential to achieving their education goals.

During COVID-19 school closures, many attentive parents likely discovered the negative aspects of their children’s dependence on digital reading that may have contributed to lost learning.

To be fair, there are benefits to eBooks and digital texts. They make information available to all and worldwide, ensuring that books are accessible to those with no or limited access to printed books.

However, predictions that eBooks and digital textbooks would cause the death of print books have proved unfounded. Recent statistics show that 72% of U.S. adults read a book in some format in the last year; 37% read only print books, 28% read both print and eBooks, 7% read digital only, and 27% read no books.

Given all the evidence, it is clear that how we read literally changes our minds — for better or worse. As educators, parents and readers, what’s to be done?

The seed for this commentary was planted when I read about an online book program that allows children to pick one free book a day — which, when I was young, would have been a starvation diet, digital or otherwise.

There are few things in modern times that are more egalitarian than our freedom to browse the stacks of our public libraries, including school libraries, where thousands of print books reside, each one calling out, “Pick me! Pick me!”

They are free to read, and I am absolutely certain we can pick many more than just one.

Martha Robertson, a retired public high school teacher and librarian, is a founding and current board member of the Kalaheo High School Foundation.