Why Your Brain Loves Physical Books More Than Screens

There is no contest: our screens are far brighter than the books we read. They can show us colors and videos, all at the click of a button – but can they also light up our brains?

Are Physical Books Becoming Obsolete?

Some have suggested that reading physical books will become a relic of the past. Or, moreover, that reading books electronically will become the norm. These predictions are not entirely wrong. Kindles and Kobos have soared in popularity, but physical books aren’t going anywhere. Despite having the option to download anything at your fingertips, people are still choosing to go to their local bookstores or thrift shops and purchase a physical novel. Logically, it makes sense to choose the easier option, so why do we still find ourselves drawn to the weathered pages of the past? 

How Reading Print Activates Spatial Memory

One of the most interesting reasons is one related to scientific study. Dimming the lights and beginning the first chapter of a new mystery novel satisfies more than just your interest; it also lights up your brain like the Manhattan skyline. Our brains are drawn to touch, to things that physically exist and engage our spatial memory. 

That connection between feeling the paper and turning the page, and thinking about the words we are reading, is incredibly important. They foster a far deeper memory, unlike when we read on a screen. Our brains treat e-readers as temporary, and even if we want to engage deeply with what we are reading, our brains are likely to remember less.

The perception of e-books as a temporary means, less of the brain is activated when we read on a screen. Even though it may be more visually exciting, it isn’t nearly as cognitively stimulating. 

Slow Living, Focus, and the Return to Print

2025 has seemed like the year of slow living. Our world is one of pressure, of time-crunches and never-ending checklists, which has caused an increasing number of people to burn out physically and emotionally. We are desperate for other philosophies of life, something not filled with constant stress and unfulfilling work.

We have therefore unsurprisingly seen a rise in popularity for slow-living philosophies from all over the world. These philosophies are inherent parts of the cultures they come from, whether it is Hygge, from Denmark, or Ubuntu from South Africa, and they are now joining the mainstream.

We need our brains to calm down, so we can free ourselves from the constant humming of stress and pressure in our lives. Picking up a printed book allows our minds that rare moment of peace, a rare moment we can breathe and finally concentrate on one thing at a time. 

Do Younger Readers Still Prefer Physical Books?

Books softly resist the distraction overload of our screens; they increase our focus on the subject and fight against our urge to skim information. Younger people are no different, also sharing an affinity for the physical. In 2019, a study found that 74% of 18-29-year-olds still preferred physical books over e-books.

Sure, you may read faster digitally than with a physical book, but most of the time, is that even the point? We read for pleasure, but also for comprehension. Our brains want to engage with the content, our brains want to question what we are reading and what the author believes. Similar to when we skim an article, gliding through a book but finishing it faster achieves little to nothing, and often leaves us knowing a myriad of half-truths.

Traditional forms of reading light up far more areas of our brain, areas that cannot be reached with newer technologies. Just because e-books are a mark of technological advancement does not make them automatically superior. 

What Technology Gains — and What It Costs

Aldous Huxley’s dystopic novel Brave New World describes a futuristic world where inhabitants are always in a state of manufactured pleasure and happiness. The people live for this feeling of pleasure, and in turn, rarely experience moments of profound contemplation. The people in this ‘Brave New World’ are living life shallowly, yet they deem traditional ways of life as uncivilised compared to their technologically advanced cities. 

Why Physical Books Still Matter in a Digital World

Huxley would never have denounced e-books; they are, after all, still a form of reading and critical reflection, but he might have warned us that not all technological progress is superior. He might have questioned the cost of technological advancement and asked what we are willing to give up in the name of progress.

Physical books have existed for many years, evolving from clay tablets to printed pages, lining the shelves of emperors and aristocrats, and now, hopefully, yours. Our world might be brave and somewhat new, but we have not forgotten the value of the old. The light of our screens might be pretty, but it can never compare to the undeniable beauty of an illuminated and activated mind.