Some people love reading through print books, and others like reading digitally through their devices, but we all have different opinions on which one is better. I believe reading a digital book is more beneficial than reading a print book because of its accessibility in a variety of different ways.
Digital books give you access to a book anywhere without worrying about returning it or losing it, and they take up minimal space. They can especially help those with disabilities. The Learning Disabilities Resources Foundation found that reading digitally can allow users to adjust font sizes to reduce eye strain and have accommodations like text-to-speech, which can be beneficial for people with poor eyesight, and be more accessible to those who don’t have the ability to purchase physical books.
Digital books also have the possibility to have a positive impact on our environment. According to NPR, reading digital books is better for those who read more than 36 books a year. Reading around this number of books would outweigh the environmental impact of the purchase of an e-reader by preserving the forest around us. NPR also reported that the head of Kindle product and marketing, Corey Badcock, stated that 2.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions were saved over a two-year period because of e-readers using Kindle.
While there are merits to print and audiobooks, they also have drawbacks. According to an article from Time Magazine, which showcased expert opinions, audiobooks decrease comprehension and understanding of the materials. People have to rewind the audio continuously while multitasking because they are doing something else instead of being focused on the content, and they don’t have the ability to “eye-read”. Reading print books requires one to carry them around, resulting in loss, damage, or simply taking up too much space. Print books can be easily damaged when drinking water, or juice, and eating other foods while reading.
Overall, digital reading is accessible for those with disabilities, and it is beneficial to the environment.
