Reading in a digital world, part III

By Carmen Chang,

The advantages of digital media;

Contrary to what one might think, the youngest, referred to as “digital natives,” adapt well to both systems. In this regard, Luis Miguel Martínez Otero (2014),  head of the Visual Neuroscience group of the Alicante Institute of Neurosciences (CSIC-UMH) explains that «changing the reading format does not seem so serious for the brain». Indeed, “our brain is not programmed to read.” In other words, the plasticity of our brain adapts as best as possible to the effects of the change, favoring our physical (visual, etc.) and cognitive abilities and largely improving our performance. 

Of all the advantages of digital media, rich-screen reading is far from being limited to hypertext. Digital facilitates the integration of other media and contributes to the transition to hypermedia, whose links make it possible to enrich or increase books or texts with animations, illustrations, sound effects, videos, etc. According to Marck Prensky, possible explanations that “digital natives” prefer digital reading include:

The reception of information is more agile, more immediate, and more pleasant on digital media: by multitasking screens and parallel links; by graphics and illustrations rather than texts; by its inclination for random access (by hypertext links), in full development, an upgraded information network; by a report of satisfaction and immediate reward; and by its rather playful interest compared to the rigor of traditional reading. 

In this regard, Claire Bélisle, Philippe Bootz, Raja Fenniche et alii, (2011). «With digital technology, new benchmarks must be built, the experience of new pleasures linked to interaction, discovery, manipulation, and sharing. Also emerging is the need to build new benchmarks with small and large screens.» The e-Readers are set to last. The arguments for or against the new digital era are numerous, a phenomenon that affects us today. Reading is one of those things that is difficult to discuss. For some, touch, smell, or just listening to turn a page is invaluable for reading, but for others, portability, interaction, image, and digital sound revolutionize the way you do it.

However, Thierry Baccino (2011)5, Professor of Psychology and Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Uses in Digital Information Technologies (or Lutin) specify that the new tools «modify our reading behaviors» because of the «saturation of information», «cognitive disorientation» because of the excess of «brightness», «scrolling» and «memory overload».   This can be explained by the fact that if «the reader navigates through different levels of hypertext» and hypermedia, «he loses sight of his initial goal.» Indeed, if the information is enriched too much, it «can lead to a «saturation of information, and the reader can get lost in the mass of information, we call this «cognitive disorientation». Thierry Baccino (2009)  adds that: reading is slower on screen because «brightness, contrast, and scanning frequency reduce information taking and cause visual fatigue. »  When we discuss the memorization process, we will identify in more detail «scrolling» and «memory overload. » 

After extensive review and analysis, Julián Marquina (2019) determined that reading e-books has 10 benefits:

1. The space they occupy is in MB and not on shelves. We will not have to dedicate part of the house to place the books. We can store them on the computer, on a USB stick, or on the same electronic reader as the books. We can have a quantity of books that is unimaginable.
2. They will not weigh heavily in the wallet or bag. Also, as they are quantified by the digital space they occupy, their weight is another great point in favor of the digital book. We can carry a large number of digital books in our bag without them weighing on our shoulders or backs.
3. Technology to the rescue of the reader. Many e-book readers are now equipped with a built-in light, so they don’t have to rely on an external light to read our digital books. In addition, they integrate dictionaries to read definitions, translators, and search engines to find what we are looking for quickly.
4. Affordable. Digital books are generally cheaper than paper books. In addition, we can have a large collection of free e-books on the Internet.
5. Its immediate availability. If we want a digital book, we have it at home, at work, or in the park. We only need to access one of the many platforms that sell e-books to buy it and start reading immediately. Also, we can borrow some from libraries, but we already know that there are not always many digital books and they may be already on loan.
6. Connectivity with text and with the world. Digital books allow us to see videos embedded in the same text, to see the links they incorporate, or to consult references immediately. Also, there are already many, those who have a Wi-Fi connection to navigate and to unload e-books.
7. Synchronization of readings. We can start reading an e-book in our e-reader and finish reading it on our smartphone. This is possible thanks to the reading called «in the cloud» which synchronizes the books we have and the page through which we stayed the last time we accessed them.
8. Annotations and marks. We can make endless annotations in e-books, underline them, and mark pages … without damaging the book. Moreover, if we want to erase them all without making any mark on the book.
9. A typographical adaptation. The reader may complain if the letters in the book are too small or there is insufficient light to read properly… with e-books, the size of the letters can be adapted, typography can be changed or brightness can be increased.  It is ideal for people with visual disorders.
10. Allow us to discover our next readings. Digital books, rather than digital book sales platforms, can guide us according to our tastes and according to previous readings. They offer us new books that could catch our attention. The power of technology and algorithms available to discover new reading experiences.

References 

• BÉLISLE Claire, BOOTZ Philippe, FENNICHE Raja et alii. , Lire dans un monde numérique, état de l’art, Villeurbanne, Papiers sous la direction de Claire Roche-Moigne, Presses de l’ENSSIB, Presses de l’ENSSIB, 2011.p. 141. 
• MARQUINA Julián, 10 beneficios del libro en papel… y otros 10 del libro electrónico, BiblioApei, 2019. Available here
• PERIODISTA DIGITAL, La preferencia ‘natural’ por el formato impreso frente al digital, 2014. Available here
• ROBIN Christian, Les livres dans l’univers numérique, Paris, La documentation française, 2011.pp. 121-122. // Clément Solym, La lecture sur papier est plus efficace que la lecture sur écran, AL Actualité l’univers du livre, 2009.