Amazon Kindle
Have you ever wondered how our brains deal with digital reading?
Think about it: for years, centuries, we humans have been reading primarily from paper. Now, reading from a screen is becoming as popular, if not more popular, than reading print! Many of us read the news, magazines, blogs, and of course our mail on our computers or mobile devices. E-Books are becoming widely available too.
How do our brains handle this new medium? The New York Times Opinion article Does the Brain like E-Books? has a couple of explanations. In the article, experts address such issues as the balance between focal and peripheral attention (which, incidentally, is disrupted in reading whether from a screen or from traditional print). Do you think people read faster on screen or paper? How is comprehension affected?
Jonah Lehrer, in his article, Reading, E-Books and the Brain, reminds us that the brain is extremely adaptable and that “we excel at developing new habits.” He speculates that “before long, digital ink will feel just as easy as actual ink.”
Check it out! It’s pretty interesting to think about reading from the perspective of your brain.
I know my brain likes the digital better. I’ve always been an avid reader, but for some reason I find it actually a little easier to read something online than in a book. For kids, like their apparent natural ability with computers, they seem to adapt in a blink – as long as there are pictures!
Isn’t it amazing how quickly and easily kids adapt to new formats and new technology? I do really think that more and more reading will be done from the screen in the future.
I love my Kindle too. I was so apprehensive at first, but I have really enjoyed it, and my husband appreciates the lack of new books around All The Time!!