Two words for you: tea, books. Done. There. That’s my article. Period, end of story. Except, sadly, many people nowadays prefer their Kindles or iPads and iPhones with their iBooks and all that sort of newfangled technology (yes, I am kind of a cranky grandma inside who prefers the good old days). One word for them: NO. It’s NOT the same. Reading actual, physical books (yup, I’m talking about the kind you find in those weird old buildings called libraries with pages that you actually turn) has some real benefits.

Let’s be real: it’s easier to get distracted when reading an ebook. Whether it’s a text you suddenly get from a friend (yeah, right, just a “friend”), a random ad (I know you click on them from time to time!), or simply the fact that the bright screen is hurting your eyes (all you late-nighters!), books on a Kindle or reading app you can really get off track or put your reading aside quite easily. You’re not immersed as much as you would be when reading an actual book.

Even the act of physically turning pages keeps your mind engaged and more active than just simply flicking your finger across the screen or however one goes about using that technology stuff (kids these days, am I right?). Turning the pages additionally helps developing children practice fine motor skills. It also helps them use their motor memories to solidify words that they come across in reading into their minds.

Also, I didn’t find any research on this, but my own hypothesis is that even the scent of books (you know, that delicious old smell; why don’t they have a perfume scented like that?) will put you in that “reading” mood or state, whatever you like to call it. Again, physical books put us in a certain beneficial state of mind and, overall, are just better. So, yeah, libraries for the win! Am I right, English majors and fellow book lovers?

I mean, come on, who doesn’t love to cozy up in an old library on a dark and stormy night (well, maybe not at night unless you’d care to break into a library [invite me along]) with a steamy cup of tea or hot chocolate (sorry, no coffee drinkers allowed on my adventures), a blanket, and, oh, fine, you can bring a friend (but only two at most!) and, of course, a lovely novel. Clearly you digital-agers are beat here!

Links:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childr...