What are the differences between reading a book or reading on your phone or computer?

I've always wondered what the physical and mental differences are, of reading a book verses a computer or phone. I've done the research and there are distinct benefits compared to using a computer or iPhone. Here are some key advantages:

1. Better Focus and Less Distraction

• Books: Physical books provide a single task environment. When you're reading, you're focused solely on the text, with fewer distractions. There are no notifications, apps, or pop-ups that can interrupt your concentration.
• Devices (Computers/iPhones): Digital devices often come with distractions, such as notifications from emails, social media, or apps. These interruptions can break your focus and lead to multitasking, which reduces deep concentration.

2. Improved Comprehension and Retention

• Books: Studies suggest that people tend to retain and comprehend information better when reading physical books. The tactile experience of flipping through pages, underlining, and taking notes in the margins can aid memory and understanding.
• Devices: While reading on a screen can be convenient, scrolling and navigating digital pages can reduce comprehension and retention, especially for more complex or detailed information.

3. Eye Health and Reduced Strain

• Books: Reading a printed book reduces strain on your eyes. There’s no blue light emission, which is known to cause eye strain, headaches, and disrupt sleep cycles.
• Devices: Prolonged screen time, especially on smartphones and computers, can lead to digital eye strain. The blue light from screens can also interfere with the production of melatonin, making it harder to sleep.

4. Better Sleep

• Books: Reading a book before bed can promote relaxation and better sleep. Books help your brain wind down without emitting light that interferes with your circadian rhythms.
• Devices: Using a phone or computer before bed can disrupt your sleep patterns due to blue light exposure. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities like browsing social media can also make it harder to fall asleep.

5. Cognitive Benefits

• Books: Regular reading of books stimulates mental processes and enhances vocabulary, critical thinking, and imagination. Physical books also encourage sustained attention and patience.
• Devices: While digital platforms can offer a wealth of information, the format often encourages skimming and shorter attention spans due to multitasking and the quick consumption of bite-sized content.

6. Deeper Emotional Engagement

• Books: Printed books can create a more immersive and emotional experience. The act of reading at a slower, more deliberate pace often helps readers connect more deeply with the characters, stories, and themes.
• Devices: Digital reading, especially on a smartphone, often encourages faster reading and skimming, which can lessen the emotional connection to the content.

7. Ownership and Connection

• Books: Physical books can provide a sense of ownership and personal connection. Holding a book, writing in it, and returning to it over the years builds a lasting bond with the material. The tactile experience of a book is often more fulfilling.
• Devices: While digital libraries offer convenience, they often lack the sense of personal attachment. The experience is more transient and less memorable.

8. Reduced Stress

• Books: Reading books is associated with stress relief. The immersive, slow-paced nature of reading a physical book can have a meditative effect, helping to lower stress levels.
• Devices: Reading on a device might not have the same relaxing effect due to the temptation of multitasking or digital distractions, leading to more stress.

9. No Need for Power or Internet

• Books: Books don't require charging or an internet connection. You can read them anytime, anywhere without worrying about battery life or connectivity issues.
• Devices: Reading on an iPhone or computer requires power and sometimes internet access, which can limit where and when you can read.

Both formats have their place, depending on convenience, the type of reading you're doing, and personal preference. However, for deep, focused, and undistracted reading, books generally provide a superior experience.

Lastly, a real book comes with tactile emersion by touching pages, looking at the covers both front and back, even bending a page as a bookmark tells you subconsciously that while you have to put the book down now, it is there for you to come back to at any time. And while the same can be true of a device, the device contains a multitude of distractions. Think about how many times you go to read an online book only to be distracted by Facebook or Instagram.  That pretty much tells the entire story.