There are so many people out there boasting about the benefits of e-books. Instead of carrying around huge piles of physical books that can weigh tens or even hundreds of kilograms, it’s obviously a lot more comfortable to keep electronic copies of them in a phone that fits in your pocket.
But space is not everything. Those who are clearly in favor of reading physical books have a new reason to maintain their position. According to a new study led by Motoyasu Honma and published in Scientific Reports, you’re more likely to understand less if you read a book on a phone, tablet, or laptop.
Reading e-books can promote overactivity in our prefrontal cortex
Reading on our smartphones might surely be comfortable, especially when we’re waiting for the bus or taking a break from work. But the new study claims that it not only promotes overactivity in our prefrontal cortex – it also reduces comprehension. This means that we should bring a physical copy of our favorite book instead of relying only on the phone. However, researchers don’t know yet what exactly is causing the comprehension reduction.
Honma explained as PsyPost.org quotes:
A woman working next to me was a constant loud sigher, and I began my research by wondering why she sighed so much,
As I looked into previous studies, I became interested in the fact that sighing has a negative impression on social communication, while it has a positive effect on cognitive function. Now that I think about it, she may have been subconsciously using sighs to improve her work efficiency.
It’s not a secret to anybody that people read more than ever on electronic devices, without counting e-books. Articles, posts, and others are being read on smartphones very often nowadays.
