Reading is an aspect of everyday life, whether it’s textbooks for Elizabethtown College students, newspapers for hard working adults or literature for everyday readers. Physical books used to be the standard medium of reading. They were everywhere you went and looked. However, with the rise of technology virtual books have boomed in popularity, spawning devices specifically for reading books virtually including Kindles and tablets. So, with that in mind, why not ask around and see what others prefer when they read, virtual books or physical books?
I decided to reach out to some classmates to see what their thoughts were. For the most part, everyone said they preferred physical copies of books when reading. Some students, like junior public health and political science major Elsa Woodarek, like the contact attributes that come with physical books.
“I prefer a physical book because I like being able to feel the book in my hands and see how much progress I’ve made in the book,” Woodarek said.
Similarly, senior psychology major Abigail Marks stated how physical books have a sensory element that enriches her experience, making it easier to read.
“[I like] physical because it gives you a book smell and the touch of each page turn to fully immerse yourself into the book,” Marks said.
Some other students had mixed opinions, having preferences for one or the other depending on the situation. For sophomore social work major Adam Brockett, his preference depends on what device he’d be reading on.
“I prefer virtual [books] on my computer to physical, since I can see more at a time,” Brockett said. “But I prefer physical [books] to reading on my phone because my phone is so small in comparison.”
Students like senior environmental science and public health major Mikayla DeMatt preferred one over the other when it came to the length and topic of what she was reading. “I tend to read books digitally if they are shorter or don’t have very in-depth writing,” DeMatt said. “But books I actually need to focus on and take time to comprehend, I tend to enjoy a physical format better.”
On top of the individuals I talked to, I sent out a virtual poll on the GroupMe Myer floor group chat I am a part of, and 18 people voted. Sixteen people said they preferred physical books and only two people picked virtual books as their preference.
Personally, I must go with the masses and say I like physical books over virtual books. I appreciate the physical aspects of the book, like the feeling of the pages, the book smell and the appearance of the book on my shelf. I often find myself falling asleep when I read virtual books, so physical books help me stay awake.
Regardless of preferences, both physical and virtual books have their perks and are pivotal ways to get information and entertainment.
