Actively Disliked
Ariel Hammerash ‘21 Copy Editor
A reader starts with the cover. She absorbs the vivid scene, even noticing the shape of the title. She holds the solid weight of the book as the scent that every reader recognizes blankets her. She flips to the first page, the rustling paper and telltale creak of the spine announcing the beginning of a journey.
Click. Swipe. Swipe. Does that seem like the same experience? Reading through devices is barren, artificial. It is devoid of life and connection and wonder. Yet, in the virtual society of COVID-19, this soulless online experience is more prevalent than ever. The days of passing out print novels for students to read have stopped, replaced with the lackluster equivalent of on-screen stories with the software Actively Learn. In-person |
library browsing — walking up and down shelves of treasure, discovering new gems to take home — has ended. These changes seem to point toward a world of online reading, but we should not settle for that!
As an avid reader, there is nothing that would make me trade in my collections of beautiful print books for a digital copy. There is satisfaction in being able to physically hold a book, to get lost in the pages. (Most of us have the war wounds to show for it; papercuts always seem to sneak in just when I get immersed in a story.) Reading is a sensory experience — senses that only appear when reading on paper. Any reader knows the scent of books, the sensation of rifling through the pages, the feeling of progress as you turn the pages and the stack of pages on the left grows. As Ms. Mohr, the Howard High media specialist, says, “There’s something about the smell of a book and the whole experience of opening up a book and thumbing through the pages that you don’t really get from reading online.” Actively does not even display the page numbers, which is something that many readers like using to track progress. Knowing what page I stopped on — especially when a bookmark isn’t handy — and how many pages I have left to go is grounding. “I read 21% of my book today” doesn’t have the same ring as “I read 105 pages today.” Not to mention, it’s a lot more difficult to find your place when you have to rely on a percentage rather than simply flipping to a certain page. Michelle Wagoner, a senior, grimaces as she sums it all up: “I just don’t like that it’s online, that you’re scrolling instead of flipping through the pages of a book.”
Actively falls short when it comes to reading for comprehension. A study conducted by Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University showed that "students who read texts in print scored significantly better on the reading comprehension test than students who read the texts digitally." If research shows that readers absorb more information — notably plot progression — when reading print books, is it wise to move books for English classes online with Actively?
Handling technology also poses its own problems. Ms. Mohr mentioned the initial difficulties that students and teachers encountered with syncing and accounts. I can say for certain that this problem is easily avoided: a print book will never kick you out because your account isn’t linked! Reading books in print is also easier on the eyes. Senior Abigail John notes that reading with Actively “hurts her eyes because [she’s] spending hours just staring at a screen; everything’s online already, so staring at a screen to read on top of that is even worse.” Since the lights behind computer screens glare into the eyes while reading, online readers often experience computer vision syndrome (CVS), according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Headaches, burning eyes, and neck pain are just the least of the problems.
The solution is to try to get a copy of that print book you’ve been reading through Actively. Stop in at a used bookstore, order one online from the library, or ask a friend or family member if they have a copy lying around. (You might be surprised at the books sitting unnoticed on people’s bookshelves.) What would be even better is if schools distributed books once again. Since virtual learning is continuing into the second semester, schools should pass out paperback books to students during the textbook pickup—getting a print copy of a book for English class is just as important as that physics textbook.
And while hunting for those Shakespeare plays for English class, take the time to order a book to read for pleasure. In addition to regular pickup of holds, the Howard County Library System offers book packages, organized by genre and grade level. Take your pick, and your bag of books will soon be ready for pickup. The Howard High media center is also open for contactless book pickup; use this link to check out a book for yourself!
Actively Learn does its job. After all, an online book is better than no book at all. However, it simply cannot compare to the experience of a print book. When you have the chance to read, take the opportunity to leave behind the screen. Grab a paperback, take a deep breath, and slow down. Relax into the world of a print book.
As an avid reader, there is nothing that would make me trade in my collections of beautiful print books for a digital copy. There is satisfaction in being able to physically hold a book, to get lost in the pages. (Most of us have the war wounds to show for it; papercuts always seem to sneak in just when I get immersed in a story.) Reading is a sensory experience — senses that only appear when reading on paper. Any reader knows the scent of books, the sensation of rifling through the pages, the feeling of progress as you turn the pages and the stack of pages on the left grows. As Ms. Mohr, the Howard High media specialist, says, “There’s something about the smell of a book and the whole experience of opening up a book and thumbing through the pages that you don’t really get from reading online.” Actively does not even display the page numbers, which is something that many readers like using to track progress. Knowing what page I stopped on — especially when a bookmark isn’t handy — and how many pages I have left to go is grounding. “I read 21% of my book today” doesn’t have the same ring as “I read 105 pages today.” Not to mention, it’s a lot more difficult to find your place when you have to rely on a percentage rather than simply flipping to a certain page. Michelle Wagoner, a senior, grimaces as she sums it all up: “I just don’t like that it’s online, that you’re scrolling instead of flipping through the pages of a book.”
Actively falls short when it comes to reading for comprehension. A study conducted by Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University showed that "students who read texts in print scored significantly better on the reading comprehension test than students who read the texts digitally." If research shows that readers absorb more information — notably plot progression — when reading print books, is it wise to move books for English classes online with Actively?
Handling technology also poses its own problems. Ms. Mohr mentioned the initial difficulties that students and teachers encountered with syncing and accounts. I can say for certain that this problem is easily avoided: a print book will never kick you out because your account isn’t linked! Reading books in print is also easier on the eyes. Senior Abigail John notes that reading with Actively “hurts her eyes because [she’s] spending hours just staring at a screen; everything’s online already, so staring at a screen to read on top of that is even worse.” Since the lights behind computer screens glare into the eyes while reading, online readers often experience computer vision syndrome (CVS), according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Headaches, burning eyes, and neck pain are just the least of the problems.
The solution is to try to get a copy of that print book you’ve been reading through Actively. Stop in at a used bookstore, order one online from the library, or ask a friend or family member if they have a copy lying around. (You might be surprised at the books sitting unnoticed on people’s bookshelves.) What would be even better is if schools distributed books once again. Since virtual learning is continuing into the second semester, schools should pass out paperback books to students during the textbook pickup—getting a print copy of a book for English class is just as important as that physics textbook.
And while hunting for those Shakespeare plays for English class, take the time to order a book to read for pleasure. In addition to regular pickup of holds, the Howard County Library System offers book packages, organized by genre and grade level. Take your pick, and your bag of books will soon be ready for pickup. The Howard High media center is also open for contactless book pickup; use this link to check out a book for yourself!
Actively Learn does its job. After all, an online book is better than no book at all. However, it simply cannot compare to the experience of a print book. When you have the chance to read, take the opportunity to leave behind the screen. Grab a paperback, take a deep breath, and slow down. Relax into the world of a print book.