Travel and leisure

E-Books vs. Printed Books

By Laura Maya

November 04, 2016

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With the much anticipated kick-off of the International Book Fair in Guadalajara right around the corner, I’ve decided to share some of my thoughts on those highly cherished objects called books. More specifically, I’d like to talk about their two varying forms: electronic vs. print.

Electronic books and printed books each have their own aspects that some tend to prefer over others.  Everyone has their own preference as to how they like to read their books. I’d like to list a few pros and cons of each form of book and try to clear-up why it is that some prefer over the other.

For those of us who are a part of the generation that lived through the time of digital transition, we tend to enjoy both mediums, because we grew up with both print and electronics; but what about the younger generations? While printed books are not yet obsolete to them, we cannot deny that we live in an era of practicality where technological advances are taking leaps and bounds, and let's face it, it’s not uncommon for children to be better at using electronic devices than adults. Pressing buttons is definitely their thing!

Being the mother of two children, I can confidently say I’m fully certified to adopt the role of psychoanalyst to prove my point. I would be lying if I said that the library was their favourite place, and they often have their cell phones or a tablet in their hands, but on the other hand, I am certain that they also enjoy taking the time to sit down and read a book.

I am definitely on the printed books team, but just this once I will try to maintain an unbiased viewpoint and list some advantages and disadvantages of both electronic books and their classic printed versions. I will also share some book suggestions that I consider perfect to get young ones familiar with the pleasure of reading.

E-books:

PROS

-They don’t take up space. You can have a complete library on your preferred device without having to worry about the space it takes up.

-They will not deteriorate, and they will never go missing. How many times have you been asked to lend out a book and know with pain and sadness in your heart that you’ll never get it back? 

-They're very accessible. You do not need to make a trip to the bookstore or the library to get your hands on the book you want, and risk not finding it.

-They adjust to the needs of each specific reader. You can manually set font size and adjust the brightness of the screen.

CONS

-They can irritate your eyes after a while.

-You can’t get it autographed by its author! You run into George R. Martin on the street and you…hand him your tablet?

Printed Books:

PROS

-The process is very simple; you simply open the book and start reading.

-The satisfaction of physically interacting with your book and turning the pages. Actually, it is proven that it is easier for the brain to absorb more information when you can skip, return to, or jump forward between pages.

-You will never run out of batteries and be forced to stop reading.

-You can build a beautiful library for your children, who can then pass it down to their children and then they can to their children and so on.

-Nostalgia. Going back through your book to find photos, notes or the underlined phrase that you loved the first time you read is priceless.

CONS

-The space they take up.

-High prices.

-Bookstores tend to run out of popular titles.  

In short, reading is always beneficial, regardless of the format used. Both definitely have their own advantages and maybe finding a balance between both sounds like a good compromise, allowing children and adults to enjoy the benefits of technology as much as the pleasure of smelling the leaves of a new book seems to make the most sense.

Which do you prefer?

Reading Recommendations:

Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

This story will move you to tears. It teaches children the value of tolerance, respect and appreciation of things for their essence and not for their appearance.

Stitch Head

By Guy Bass

For the young ones who like a little scary stuff, this book teaches about friendship and how to overcome fears of the unknown.

Dreams of Freedom

Frances Lincoln Children's Books

This is a book that speaks about human rights among children. It contains beautiful illustrations of different artists and includes the words of inspirational figures like Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, and Anne Frank, among others.

En Mijo! Brands, agencia de marketing digital, sabemos que la lectura es un hábito importante que deben desarrollar todas las personas, y tener a disposición tanto libros empastados como virtuales, favorece a que la sociedad y las nuevas generaciones pueda elegir la manera en la cual disfrutarán de su contenido, sabiendo que colaborarán tanto al enriquecimiento personal como al desarrollo cultural.

At Mijo! Brands digital marketing agency, we know that reading is an important habit that must be encouraged and enjoyed by all people, and having both printed and virtual books available allows society and new generations can choose the way in which they enjoy reading the most, knowing that no matter what, reading will result in personal enrichment and cultural development.

With the much anticipated kick-off of the International Book Fair in Guadalajara right around the corner, I’ve decided to share some of my thoughts on those highly cherished objects called books. More specifically, I’d like to talk about their two varying forms: electronic vs. print.

Electronic books and printed books each have their own aspects that some tend to prefer over others.  Everyone has their own preference as to how they like to read their books. I’d like to list a few pros and cons of each form of book and try to clear-up why it is that some prefer over the other.

For those of us who are a part of the generation that lived through the time of digital transition, we tend to enjoy both mediums, because we grew up with both print and electronics; but what about the younger generations? While printed books are not yet obsolete to them, we cannot deny that we live in an era of practicality where technological advances are taking leaps and bounds, and let's face it, it’s not uncommon for children to be better at using electronic devices than adults. Pressing buttons is definitely their thing!

Being the mother of two children, I can confidently say I’m fully certified to adopt the role of psychoanalyst to prove my point. I would be lying if I said that the library was their favourite place, and they often have their cell phones or a tablet in their hands, but on the other hand, I am certain that they also enjoy taking the time to sit down and read a book.

I am definitely on the printed books team, but just this once I will try to maintain an unbiased viewpoint and list some advantages and disadvantages of both electronic books and their classic printed versions. I will also share some book suggestions that I consider perfect to get young ones familiar with the pleasure of reading.

E-books:

PROS

-They don’t take up space. You can have a complete library on your preferred device without having to worry about the space it takes up.

-They will not deteriorate, and they will never go missing. How many times have you been asked to lend out a book and know with pain and sadness in your heart that you’ll never get it back?

-They're very accessible. You do not need to make a trip to the bookstore or the library to get your hands on the book you want, and risk not finding it.

-They adjust to the needs of each specific reader. You can manually set font size and adjust the brightness of the screen.

CONS

-They can irritate your eyes after a while.

-You can’t get it autographed by its author! You run into George R. Martin on the street and you…hand him your tablet?

Printed Books:

PROS

-The process is very simple; you simply open the book and start reading.

-The satisfaction of physically interacting with your book and turning the pages. Actually, it is proven that it is easier for the brain to absorb more information when you can skip, return to, or jump forward between pages.

-You will never run out of batteries and be forced to stop reading.

-You can build a beautiful library for your children, who can then pass it down to their children and then they can to their children and so on.

-Nostalgia. Going back through your book to find photos, notes or the underlined phrase that you loved the first time you read is priceless.

CONS

-The space they take up.

-High prices.

-Bookstores tend to run out of popular titles.  

In short, reading is always beneficial, regardless of the format used. Both definitely have their own advantages and maybe finding a balance between both sounds like a good compromise, allowing children and adults to enjoy the benefits of technology as much as the pleasure of smelling the leaves of a new book seems to make the most sense.

Which do you prefer?

Reading Recommendations:

Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

This story will move you to tears. It teaches children the value of tolerance, respect and appreciation of things for their essence and not for their appearance.

Stitch Head

By Guy Bass

For the young ones who like a little scary stuff, this book teaches about friendship and how to overcome fears of the unknown.

Dreams of Freedom

Frances Lincoln Children's Books

This is a book that speaks about human rights among children. It contains beautiful illustrations of different artists and includes the words of inspirational figures like Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, and Anne Frank, among others.

En Mijo! Brands, agencia de marketing digital, sabemos que la lectura es un hábito importante que deben desarrollar todas las personas, y tener a disposición tanto libros empastados como virtuales, favorece a que la sociedad y las nuevas generaciones pueda elegir la manera en la cual disfrutarán de su contenido, sabiendo que colaborarán tanto al enriquecimiento personal como al desarrollo cultural.

At Mijo! Brands digital marketing agency, we know that reading is an important habit that must be encouraged and enjoyed by all people, and having both printed and virtual books available allows society and new generations can choose the way in which they enjoy reading the most, knowing that no matter what, reading will result in personal enrichment and cultural development.

Laura Maya is Management and Human Resources Manager at Mijo! Brands, a leading creative agency in CDMX and Puerto Vallarta. Know our projects at www.mijobrands.com or contact us.

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Laura Maya is Management and Human Resources Manager at Mijo! Brands, a leading creative agency in CDMX and Puerto Vallarta. Know our projects at www.mijobrands.com or contact us.