Reading Techniques: Pros and Cons of the Digital World
Written by Joanna Zuno 7/19/2021
It’s obvious we’ve entered the Digital Age, where we equip our daily writing and reading tasks with the newest hardware and programs. Reading has become less constrained now that we can read from our phones or tablets at ease, as well as a more convenient fit as a carry on device. But with new resolutions, there come new problems. What is the cost of doing away with the paperback? Is digital a resolve for everybody? Here I will highlight some pros and cons of reading digitally that will help you guide your choices to picking an outlet to read from.
Pro: Marking and Highlighting is Much More Easier
Remember in the old days when you were trying to highlight that passage in your book while on the train, and then there was a sudden halt and you highlighted all across the page? Well, with going digital you can easily highlight texts, change text color, as well for some reading apps, circle a certain word. You can easily find out the definition of a certain word by just a touch too! No more horribly marking your books!
Con: Footnotes Can Get Misplaced
Now this is one of the things that does irk me when it comes to reading a digital copy of the book, it's the footnotes. As usually they would be in the very bottom of the page to give immediate reference made in the chapter, they’re nowhere to be found. Quite frustratingly, most digital copies would have footnotes at the end of the chapter instead of being made to fit the page, or lead somewhere farther in the book, mainly towards the end.
Pro and Con: Line Spacing and Text Changing
Did you ever get a hold of a text and see that the lines in a paragraph we’re just a tad too “bunched up?” Did spacing hold to your ideals as a proper way to read as well make your own notes in between? Well, digital copies are equipped with line spacing options as well text changing options. This can be great, however, when it comes to certain digital copies, the minute you change the format of the text it can lead to problems with the text being cut off and not going on to the next page.
Pro: Reading is Easier When Traveling
We are no longer in need of finding a well-lit area for our books. Now, we can shape the lighting to what we desire with LED brightness on our screens, as well the options within our digital downloads. Simply put, we no longer have to live the days where we need to find convenient times to read our books while the sun is out!
Con: Too Much Exposure to LED Light Can Be Bad
So this is an overall health problem; we’ve become so dependent on our phones that one of the bad takeaways is the effect LED light can have on our eyes. It is quite known by health experts you’re not supposed to expose LED light when it’s bedtime-that being the light itself toys with your mental functions to sleep. In doing so can cause sleep deprivation. So, in consideration to your personal health, limit your exposure, and if you must read, consider a paper source in a nice lit room.
We at Vialchemy hope that in review of this pro and con list and take into consideration when going forward with reading a digital text. Please continue to browse the website and read our other articles by our contributors.