London - In this age of Kindles and iPads, those who still prefer the written word can be seen as passé.
But now research claims that the old-fashioned method has many key advantages. Books read on e-readers have been shown to be less enjoyable and harder to follow.
Researchers from the University of Stavanger in Norway examined students reading a sad short story from a booklet or an iPad. They found those who read it on paper showed more empathy towards the subjects.
A second study from the same team found people who read a mystery tale on a Kindle fared worse at absorbing the twists and turns than those who read it on paper.
When text is read in a book, memory may be aided by visualising where a line appeared on a page or how many pages were read.
And other research from the University of California in Los Angeles found that students who took notes by hand rather than typing them generally understood the content of a lecture better and remembered more.
This week’s New Scientist reports: “Only when we know precisely what screens do to us will we know precisely what we should do with them.” - Daily Mail