Newsman Debate Column: Which is the Best Format to Read Books?
Welcome to the Newsman Debate column. Our first topic for debate is “Which Type of Book is Better?” The Newman community has spoken, with 44 responses, and the best type of book is... paper books! In second place came E-books, while audiobooks came in third.
One significant comment made by a student defending audiobooks stated, “I can multitask and save time by having the audio play while I clean or as I'm going to bed. Plus, I find it easier to take notes when you don't have to keep putting the book down to write.”
The main points defending E-books are that “you can customize the colors and fonts AND dynamically annotate the book,” and, “E-books save more money than paper books.” Another point made was that E-books “save paper, reduce the earth's burden, zero tree cutting, and are truly environment-friendly and low-carbon.”
However, the majority of the students had very strong opinions on why paper books are the best. One comment that really stood out was, “Books are written to be consumed on paper in the same way that movies are colored to be watched on movie theater screens; reading a book in any other format just wouldn't feel right. I concede that the clumsiness of the paper book format is a disadvantage not shared by other modern book formats, but the experience of reading a book on paper in its original print is one that can't be replicated by a screen or a speaker. Maybe I'm like an old vinyl fanatic, yelling into the void, ‘vinyl sounds better!’ long after records have been replaced by CDs, mp3s, and streaming music, but I will forever stand by my opinion that nothing can match the organic experience of reading a paper book.” A lot of comments also talked about the feel and vibe of reading a paper book. They talk about “the feeling of pages beneath my fingers, and the smell of paper books,” and how “the energy and vibe of paper books is so much more relaxing. There is nothing better than letting go of a long day with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and reading a good fantasy novel like the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.” Another comment about which paperback books and the love-hate relationship across mediums says, “I actually love all books but I read paper books the most. Within paper books, I really hate floppy paperbacks SO MUCH!!! I CAN’T DEAL WITH MY BOOK FLOPPING CLOSED WHILE I’M READING IT.”
The people have spoken, and it seems that the Newman students strongly feel that paper books are the greatest medium for books. The classes with the most responses are tied by the 8th-grade and senior classes. Thank you for your responses and stay tuned for the next debate!
