I only just started reading ebooks a few months ago so I’m not exactly emotionally attached to them, but I actually suspect it has more to do with the disposition of consumption rather than reading on a screen, particularly if your ereader is e-ink. What I mean is, it’s easy to take the same attitude we have when scrolling social media and let that carry into “scrolling” an ebook. We consume consume consume and do nothing with the information so our brain forgets it because it realizes it’s not important and therefore it must make more room to consume some more. Maybe you do need to cut back on ebooks, or maybe you just need to be more intentional about using the information you learn, preferably immediately after reading it, by doing some charlotte mason style narrating. You could do a bit of journaling, or a voice memo, or even better a voice memo to a friend.
Interesting thoughts/research - thanks for sharing. I admit I've never read an e-book, and I just can't bring myself to do it. It holds no appeal to me (just my preference). That being said, I notice that I tend to read more quickly when I'm reading on a screen (articles, essays), so I am guessing that would be true if I were to read an e-book. (I wonder, does speed of reading have any relationship to retention?) That, and I am in front of a screen more often than is probably ideal. Also, I notice more and more that I write in books as I'm reading them, which I guess would be tricky with e-books. I can relate to reading a lot when one has a baby. I recall (once nursing was well established) that I was able to nurse my babies using a Boppy - and balance a book and bowl of ice cream at the same time! Blessings to you and yours.
The Boppy really can function like an extra set of arms sometimes!
I think it was on Sarah Mackenzie’s Read Aloud Revival podcast that I heard when we read on a phone or computer screen, our eyes scan the text in a “F” pattern (read a couple lines, then skim down a few lines, like an F shape). It sounded like the verdict was still out on whether our eyes do the same thing with e-readers. I thought that was interesting, and I catch myself doing it while reading on my phone or a computer. While reading an ebook I don’t notice myself doing it—maybe I have more of a completion mindset there since I know I’m reading a book instead of an online article.
I only just started reading ebooks a few months ago so I’m not exactly emotionally attached to them, but I actually suspect it has more to do with the disposition of consumption rather than reading on a screen, particularly if your ereader is e-ink. What I mean is, it’s easy to take the same attitude we have when scrolling social media and let that carry into “scrolling” an ebook. We consume consume consume and do nothing with the information so our brain forgets it because it realizes it’s not important and therefore it must make more room to consume some more. Maybe you do need to cut back on ebooks, or maybe you just need to be more intentional about using the information you learn, preferably immediately after reading it, by doing some charlotte mason style narrating. You could do a bit of journaling, or a voice memo, or even better a voice memo to a friend.
I think taking notes has definitely helped me engage better with both ebooks and even physical books!
Interesting thoughts/research - thanks for sharing. I admit I've never read an e-book, and I just can't bring myself to do it. It holds no appeal to me (just my preference). That being said, I notice that I tend to read more quickly when I'm reading on a screen (articles, essays), so I am guessing that would be true if I were to read an e-book. (I wonder, does speed of reading have any relationship to retention?) That, and I am in front of a screen more often than is probably ideal. Also, I notice more and more that I write in books as I'm reading them, which I guess would be tricky with e-books. I can relate to reading a lot when one has a baby. I recall (once nursing was well established) that I was able to nurse my babies using a Boppy - and balance a book and bowl of ice cream at the same time! Blessings to you and yours.
The Boppy really can function like an extra set of arms sometimes!
I think it was on Sarah Mackenzie’s Read Aloud Revival podcast that I heard when we read on a phone or computer screen, our eyes scan the text in a “F” pattern (read a couple lines, then skim down a few lines, like an F shape). It sounded like the verdict was still out on whether our eyes do the same thing with e-readers. I thought that was interesting, and I catch myself doing it while reading on my phone or a computer. While reading an ebook I don’t notice myself doing it—maybe I have more of a completion mindset there since I know I’m reading a book instead of an online article.