Paper or Screen?

I had a small disagreement with a friend some days ago, on digital reading. Then he said something that actually surprised me. He told me that he doesn't think he can sit down and read a book if it wasn't in some digital way (always in the sense of reading it on his phone as PDF or EPUB).I laughed when he first said it, because I thought he was joking but he was actually serious. He said that reading an actual book was like "work" for him, but reading it on his phone was "normal" and natural. That made me pause because its literally the same story, same words, same author, same ending, just a different format. So what really makes the experience so different?

It might be because our phones have become such a natural part in our daily lives. We have them in our hands almost all the time, scroll through social media, read captions, tweet, and read stories online every day. Reading on a screen feels familiar, while reading a physical books kind of requires effort, a quiet place, patience and focus. You have to sit still, hold the book properly and focus. I think that's something most people don't have patience for anymore.

I can actually understand his point. I read ebooks more than I read physical books too, not because I don't like physical books but because of the cost and convenience.

The difference is that, unlike him, I'm not completely against the feel of paper. I still enjoy holding a real book when I can.

Let's face it, physical books can be very expensive. In contrast, ebooks are more affordable, readily accessible and don't require any shelf space. Ebooks are cheaper, easier to find and they don't take up space. You can carry a whole library in your phone.

Sometimes, i even prefer reading on my phone because it fits into my daily rhythm. I can read anywhere - while waiting for something to download, when I can't sleep at night or when I'm taking a break at work. I don't have to worry about finding light or space to carry a book around. Ebooks actually make life easier for me. If not for them, I probably wouldn't read as much as I do. And I think that's the good part, technology hasn't stopped us from reading; it's made reading adapt to the way we live now. We've entered a time where our stories have become digital and the weight of knowledge can fit in our palms.

That is fascinating. If technology could change something as simple as reading a book, what will happen when everything goes fully digital?... well, that's for another day to worry about.

I'm not in full agreement with my friend, I won't say he is outright wrong either. He just prefers having the stories in a digital form, and I like having both. I guess what matters isn't where we read but what we're reading

Image is mine

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