Page 25 - Boardwalk Meander Issue 5 December 2024

n this digital age where screens devices can add up over time.
dominate daily life, the idea of
Ireading a physical book, magazine or BOOKS HELP TO DIGITALLY
newspaper may seem old-fashioned. The DETOX
Paper Manufacturers Association of South Addiction expert Dr Anna Lembke, in her
Africa (PAMSA) suggests that reading article entitled Constant Craving: How
paper-based material can be compared to Digital Media turned us all into Dopamine
maintaining a healthy diet. Addicts, says that our smartphones are
making us dopamine junkies, with each
Jane Maloney, executive director of swipe, tweet and like feeding our habit.
PAMSA, says that just as a balanced diet is We’re forever ‘interrupting ourselves for a
vital for our physical health, so print and quick digital hit’.
paper provide benefits that nourish the Opting for a magazine or paper book over
mind in ways that digital formats can’t. digital content can help mitigate digital
“Reading paper books feeds the mind overload, much like avoiding sugar or
through a more captivating experience, alcohol can curb unhealthy cravings.
where readers can absorb ideas and
develop a deeper understanding of the TIPS TO GET YOU READING
material,” she explains. MORE PAPER BOOKS
Read at regular intervals: Carve out ten
Digital platforms are notorious for their minutes each day to read a magazine,
distractions such as adverts, hyperlinks newspaper or novel. You can even read
and notifications that draw our focus away while enjoying breakfast or lunch, or treat
from the core content. In contrast, paper yourself to coffee and cake with a book as
books provide an uninterrupted reading your date!
experience, allowing for deep engagement If you’re a new reader, opt for bite-size
with the content. People benefit from reading: Large, hardback books can be
the more deliberate pace of reading daunting, so opt for short, ‘snackable’
paper-based material, which enhances ones. It’s a great way to feel a sense of
the understanding and retention of accomplishment when you finish them.
information. This is attributed to reduced
distractions and the physicality of paper, Discover the pleasure of your favourite
which enhances spatial awareness and topic: Most people have a favourite meal
allows for pen-to-paper annotations. An or treat, so find out what type of reading
article in Psychology Today entitled The material brings you the most pleasure. It
Case for Paper: Books vs E-Readers, states might be fiction in the form of romance,
that turning pages in a book creates an comedy or suspenseful thrillers, or non-
‘index’ in the brain, mapping what we fiction on a range of topics.
read visually to a particular page.
Keep ‘reading snacks’ in your car, handbag
Just as consistent, healthy eating is key or laptop bag: While waiting in a queue,
to physical well-being, regularly reading doctors’ rooms or sitting in the car, most
paper books cultivates strong mental of us will reach for our mobile phones and
habits such as concentration, memory and scroll mindlessly through social media
critical thinking. Eating isn’t just about platforms. Instead, make sure you have a
nourishment; it’s also about savouring book or magazine on hand to while away
taste, texture and smell. Reading paper the time and feed your mind.
books appeals to our senses in a way that
digital books fail to do. It has something Include variety if you’re already a big
to do with the sensation of running our reader: If you love fiction, challenge
hands over a beautifully illustrated or yourself to give non-fiction a try. You
embossed cover, or leafing through the might find that topics of a different nature
pages. There is also the appealing smell create a more balanced intellectual ‘diet’.
of a new novel, or even yellowed ageing Similarly, if you prefer reading in a digital
parchment. format, which
PAPER BOOKS ARE AN offers convenience and accessibility, add
‘ORGANIC’ CHOICE a paper book once in a while to offer a
Paper books store carbon and since paper well-rounded counterbalance.
is derived from wood, it acts as a carbon
sink, storing the carbon dioxide absorbed Bring and share: Just like we bring a plate
by trees during their growth. This of eats to a social gathering, take along a
sustainable cycle continues as harvested book that you think a friend may enjoy.
trees are replaced with new saplings, You can also donate books to a charity
ensuring that wood and paper remain shop or second-hand bookstore.
renewable resources.
Digital devices are often considered ‘eco- Jane Moloney concludes: “From my own
friendly’, however e-readers and tablets experience, I find that paper books truly
require significant resources to produce, nourish my mind. They help me relax,
and irresponsible disposal contributes disconnect and escape into another
to electronic waste. Additionally, the world. In an ‘always on’ world, books
energy used to power and recharge digital remain my healthiest choice.”

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Boardwalk Meander Estate Issue 5 · 2024