Proponents of e-books argue that modern reading gadgets are much better than hopelessly outdated paper counterparts. They do not take up much space, are significantly inferior to printed publications in price and, most importantly, do not harm the environment. They are partly right, but still there is something in multi-page volumes that is unlikely to be able to find a quality replacement. The editors of the Mental Floss portal spoke about good reasons to return to reading real books, and we decided to share their findings with you.

You absorb more information

According to a study by Italian scientists, the results of which were presented to the world community in 2014, reading from paper contributes to a better assimilation of information. In addition, the real book provides a complete immersion in the plot, while the electronic text does not. Experts believe that this may be directly related to tactile sensations. In simple words, the opportunity to touch a beautiful publication, evaluate the number of pages already read, feel their weight and volume motivates for a detailed acquaintance with the work much more than any, even the most convenient gadget.

You remember the story better

Another study, already conducted in the UK, showed that children aged three to five understand the essence of a story much better if it was read to them not from electronic, but from paper. The phenomenon, scientists are sure, may be due to the fact that gadgets distract children from any mental work in general.

A similar experiment was repeated with adults: a group of students was divided into two parts, some read a fictional story through a special application, others read in the most ordinary book. The results were stunning: the second group was able to almost completely, including the smallest details, reproduce the plot of the work, the boys and girls from the first could not boast of the same.

You save your sight

Considering that in modern realities you spend most of your time in front of a computer or smartphone, eye strain can be called critical. In fairness, it should be noted that the screens of the latest models of electronic devices are as close as possible to an ordinary book, however, as experience shows, this is still not enough.

Dryness of the mucosa, redness, burning – this is only a small part of the symptoms that occur when reading from the monitor.

A survey of almost five hundred students from world universities showed that half of the students experience a constant feeling of discomfort in the eyes after switching from paper to electronic media.

You are not distracted

And we are talking here not only about e-books with Internet access, but also about any other gadget where you have successfully installed a reading application. On the one hand, the ability to quickly find an incomprehensible word, a historical fact or any other information related to a work on the World Wide Web is a great success. On the other hand, it is never possible to see one thing. Well, unless you are a person with an iron will and are really able to click only on the necessary link.

At the same time, another study showed that people who read books using gadgets can easily cope with multitasking, while conservatives, on the contrary, are able to focus on only one thing, but ensure that it is done one hundred percent.

You will get rid of sleep problems

For many years now, experts from different countries have been repeating the same thing: falling asleep in an embrace with a smartphone is harmful. And the matter is not only in the negative impact of the screen on the eyes but also in the quality of sleep, which is significantly reduced by the continuous use of any devices, including e-books. And here’s the thing: the main enemy of the sleep hormone – melatonin, which is produced in absolute darkness – is the blue part of the spectrum of light waves. It is them that absolutely all screens emit.

Paper books, on the contrary, help to improve sleep. Problems, stress, fatigue? All this is easy to forget, plunging into other worlds, without harm to health.

Your children will solve their learning problems

Surprisingly, the fact remains: the more books in the house, the easier it is for the child to study. According to a survey conducted in forty-two countries, children who read outside the school curriculum are much easier to cope with exams and tests.

In addition, researchers believe that the presence of a large number of beautiful, bright books in the house makes the child perceive reading not as a duty, but as a pleasant fun, a game. Meanwhile, you always want to play much more than to pore over the lessons.

Paper books bring joy

A recent survey of students from the USA, Slovakia, Japan and Germany showed that 92% of respondents prefer paper editions because they can be… touched. In particular, teenagers from Slovakia claim that they like the smell of books. And this is not surprising: it turns out that over time, the lignin, which is part of the paper, begins to exude vanilla flavor. So smelling an old book is almost the same as enjoying an exclusive perfume or a delicious dessert.