The Reading Debate
When I started this project, I always thought that the debate between physical and digital formats was mostly about preference — whether someone likes flipping pages or tapping a screen. Personally, I like the tangibility of holding a physical book in my hands and resting it in my lap as my mind trails off into the world of whatever book I’m reading. But the more I researched, the more I realized that format doesn’t change the reading experience — it changes how we process, retain, and engage with information.
One of the most interesting things I came across was how differently our brains process printed text versus digital screens. I had sensed this myself — especially when studying — but I didn’t realize how much research there is to back it up. A study in the Journal of Documentation confirms that print reading enhances comprehension, long-term retention, and focus, while digital reading often leads to skimming, keyword spotting, and non-linear reading.
Research in the British Journal of Psychology compared how people read narrative (stories) and expository (factual) texts in both formats, and those who read in print had significantly better comprehension — regardless of their vocabulary and reading ability. Meanwhile, the Journal of Documentation also found that scrolling weakens our ability to mentally map where information is on a page, which may explain why it’s sometimes harder to recall details when reading digitally.
That’s not to say digital books don’t have their advantages — they’re portable, accessible, and provide instant access. But they also change how we interact with text. Wästlund et al. (2005) found that digital reading increases cognitive load, making comprehension more difficult and mentally demanding. Readers in their study had lower comprehension scores and reported higher mental fatigue when reading from screens.
After exploring the research, I realized that the format we choose affects how we absorb and process information, not just how we experience a story. While digital books offer convenience and accessibility, print books provide a sensory and cognitive advantage that’s hard to replicate on a screen.