A number of scientists came to a paradoxical conclusion: e-books lose paper on the most important parameters. Text on gadgets longer read, and understood and remembered worse.
Fans of electronic gadgets would argue that paper books are fading, as well as sunk into oblivion such media as clay tablets, parchment, birch bark and knot writing. Indeed, there is a feeling that libraries are becoming an anachronism. After all, thousands of volumes that previously had to collect all my life, today, downloaded from the Internet with one click and safely fit within the reader the size of a Notepad. But ...do not rush to abandon paper books.
PAPER TIGER SHOWED HIS TEETH
Specialists research firm Nielsen Norman Group conducted a simple experiment. The volunteers were asked to read one of the short stories by Ernest Hemingway on different carriers. Most quickly overcame the classic works those who got the paper book, their rate was in average 17 minutes 20 seconds. IPad users spent 6.2% more time. And read the same story in the e-book took another 10.7% of the time more.
But that's not it. It turned out that the material read in the paper, is absorbed better than the story told by kilobytes and pixels. Kate garland of the University of Leicester (UK) has offered its students-psychologists to understand difficult text. To complicate the task, he chose a non-core discipline is Economics. It was found that students who read a fundamental article in the paper, need to read it few times to understand the subject matter. In addition, a few weeks later they better reproduce the main arguments and theses of the publication.
And Professor Anne of Manga from the University of Stavanger (Norway), working with two groups of high school students, came to the conclusion that the same regularity is observed not only when reading scientific papers, but also in getting acquainted with fiction and journalism.
Interesting figures Professor, Department of biology and human ecology, Northern (Arctic) University Ludmila Sokolova, investigate the psychophysical bases of reading. It turns out that when reading paper books the effectiveness of the assignments in students 7% higher than when using gadgets. Group Sokolova recorded the physiological responses of the body. It was found that the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (it stimulates the activity of the heart) is much more pronounced when reading a paper book - this level is increased by 31.68%. E-book stimulates the body is almost two times weaker 17,23%. This means that the text in the paper is perceived much brighter and more makes you sympathize with the characters and narrated events. By the way, why do not expect that the use of e-readers will instill in your child a love of reading. Stories, read with the electronic media, much harder to get his attention.
"IRONY OF FATE OR" FAREWELL TO A GADGET
What is the matter? Why the brain loves to work with paper books than with electronic? Anna Manga offers an interesting explanation, which will be very close and just clear to the Russian reader. Remember the story of the famous Christmas Comedy "Irony of fate or enjoy your bath?" It was built on the fact that the hero Andrey Myagkov instead of your typical Moscow apartment on 3rd street Builders, building 25 was in exactly the same, but in Leningrad. This was largely because the Soviet blocks of buildings were identical and faceless. As well as page e-books!
According to Anna, the Manga, the mechanism of memorizing the text associated with the creation of so-called mental maps works. To find a "shelf" we have in mind is the right information, the memory uses a series of prompts. For example, it is necessary to remember the place and circumstances where the information was obtained. The role of such markings, tips serve as tactile sensations from contact with the book, the texture of the pages, the cover and design. In addition, the ability to browse the paper page gives the brain important to create a sense of volume works - we can mentally travel through the pages. All this creates a unique "architecture" of the reading, which the brain accurately distinguish the Z-th street Builders (or one unit of information) from one another "quarter". E-book is devoid of any kind-any additional markings. And this impersonality leads to the fact that in memory it is stored chaotic, haphazard way.
By the WAY
Five little-known facts about the benefits of reading
Reading is directly related to financial well-being. Only 4% of people with high levels of literacy live in poverty. At the same time, 43% of those who read little or no taking the book in hand, live below the poverty line.
Neuroscientist David Lewis found that daily six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 70 percent. This is more efficient than listening to music or walking.
2012 in Brazilian prisons launched the "Redemption through reading". For each mastered the book (if read we must also write an essay) prisoners reduce sentences by 4 days. A year be credited with no more than 12 books (obtained as 48 days). Statistics show that criminals started to read, after release 30 % less likely to commit another offence.
American Explorer Robert Wilson for 6 years watched a group of 294 centenarians (average age 89 years). After the death of the brain of each volunteer was subjected to autopsy, the doctors were looking for signs of dementia - senile dementia. It was found that among those who read and wrote more than the average mental decline was 32 % slower than their peers. For those who are not interested in the books, Alzheimer's disease has progressed to 50% faster than usual.
Scientists of Institute of Toulouse proved that to view the book during a meal help your stomach. Reading, the person slowly chews the food, and it better soaked with saliva and digestive juices.
I agree, paper books are more readable for me, and I sometimes make them myself from electronic files.
I do not recognize e-books
Readers may be useful in some occasions, but when there is a choice, paper always wins.
yes
Great article! I use both physical books and ebooks, preferring physical books but sometimes ebooks are just more practical for space reasons (I own way too many physical books!) and ease of carrying when on a train.
Very interesting (if not surprising) findings! I wonder what you think about audio-books. (See https://steemit.com/audio-books/@sukhasanasister/who-listens-to-the-classics-musings-on-audio-books.)