Ebooks VS Physical books: The never-ending debate I Blog By Alvira Kumar, 10, New Delhi

Ebooks VS Physical books: The never-ending debate 

Our world is constantly evolving towards a more accessible future, resulting in several analogue-to-digital changes, especially when it comes to literature. Books have brought us both knowledge and pleasure, but so have digital versions. Although each argument has its own pros and cons, let’s decide which one proves dominant in today’s bustling world.

As for our first argument, e-books are accessible to a much wider audience, whereas the availability of physical books depends on their publishers. Smaller publishers are often deprived of the resources needed for marketing and shipment, restricting a possible best-seller from fame. 

Ebooks are now being developed with a language translation feature, which proves beneficial for readers all over the globe. 

Despite the practicality of e-books, print books contain a warm sense of sentimentality. Picture as: you’re sitting on a cosy seat while reading a heartfelt classic. That sensation cannot be found while reading an e-book. That warm, bookish feeling is truly one of its kind.

What’s the need for one book when you can have thousands of them altogether? Since e-books are highly portable, an e-book reader can experience hours of hearty entertainment on-the-go. Unlike physical books, readers can carry e-books around without any concerns about storage space, etc.

One major setback of e-books is that readers can easily get distracted, whereas print books (when read in a quiet, distraction-free area) discourage that habit. Using a mobile or tablet device that holds a range of different apps, features, or games can tempt restless readers to become easily distracted and lose focus on what they’re reading.

Ebooks are widely known for their active interaction, such as in-built images, animations, games, quizzes relative to the respective text, and much, much more! In fact, researchers have observed that interactive texts promote better motor skills in early readers. 

Although interaction is crucial for developing readers, so is the ability to comprehend. Research studies suggest that information shown in print enables readers to further comprehend a text. Encouraging little readers to begin with physical books will instill both a passion for reading and the ability to comprehend literature. 

By far, the largest setback of print books is obviously their harm to our environment. Nearly 3.4 billion trees are cut each year! While eBooks undoubtedly leave behind their own carbon footprint, these figures cannot be ignored.

Despite the new features displayed in e-books, one remarkable capability of a print book is its sheer simplicity. Settle down and enjoy hours of peaceful entertainment with just one good book by your side. What better way than this to spend your evening? The thing that stands out in print books is their capability to make us laugh, cry, and smile. Ebooks don’t bring reading to that level of elevation. 

To conclude, reading provides us limitless knowledge and entertainment while improving self-esteem, developing a skill of comprehension, strengthening our writing ability, and, most of all, letting people imagine a world like none other. But everyone has different preferences, as some reside in print while others dwell within e-books. In a fast-paced world where things are uncertain, one thing we can all agree on is . . . the fantastical, happening world of literature.

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

By Ernest Hemingway

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