Page 25 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 11 December 2024

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

a book that you think a friend may enjoy.
carbon sink, storing the carbon dioxide
You can also donate books to a charity
absorbed by trees during their growth.
IN YOUR READING DIET harvested trees are replaced with new Jane Moloney concludes: “From my own
This sustainable cycle continues as
shop or second-hand bookstore.
saplings, ensuring that wood and paper
experience, I find that paper books truly
remain renewable resources.
nourish my mind. They help me relax,
Digital devices are often considered ‘eco-
friendly’, however e-readers and tablets
world. In an ‘always on’ world, books
require significant resources to produce, disconnect and escape into another
remain my healthiest choice.”
22 DPL issue 11 2024 Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 2 • 2024
DPL issue 9 2024 21