Why I Don’t Read On A Kindle

Since 2007, the Amazon Kindle has revolutionized the way we read in these digital times that we live in. It has allowed many to download books for a lower price into these, read more freely with the Kindle Unlimited subscription, download the Audible version of the book to help with reading the story on the go, and among many wonderful benefits that the Kindle offers. I myself have been fortunate enough to own a Kindle and have read many books digitally. However, for some reason, I’ve always drifted back to physical books even

though the convenience of the Kindle is something that physical books can’t compete with completely. I mean, who would take a big bag of books when traveling elsewhere, especially if headed to another country?… Barely anyone. They would like something convenient and easy to carry around. With me, it is a different story. Let me give you a bit of a history of my relationship with Kindles.

Kindle e-reader with a prohibited sign in front of it

A History between JES and reading on a Kindle

I’ve been reading seriously since my senior year of high school and have developed a solid reading habit over the years. As I read and stacked my bookshelf full of books, I became a bit bothered that I had a massive book collection that I had yet to read and it was causing my bedroom to become a little bit messy. After doing some research on my side and seeing the benefits of using a Kindle, thanks to a relative of mine, I decided to invest on a Kindle back in the spring of 2022. At first, I enjoyed it. I appreciate it the convenience that it had, the screen design to make it look as if you were reading from a regular book page, the free books that you could download easily due to having a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and among many others. I downloaded many books that I had already purchased physically since I thought I was going to be part of the Kindle group of readers entirely and that I was never going back to physical books… but I was wrong. To be honest, and this is the truth, I didn’t heavily use my Kindle since I’ve made a promise to myself to finish off the physical copies on my bookshelf before reading exclusively on the Kindle. However, that promise was never realized. I started asking myself a question that got me involved in a two and a half decade old debate question: Which one is better? A physical book or Kindle? It is a question that has been spinning my mind for months already and it bothers me every single time it comes up. It bother even more when I see anyone reading from a Kindle. Now that I’ve shared my history with the Kindle, I’m going to write my personal reasons on why a Kindle is just not my go-to when it comes to reading.

I Don’t Prefer Reading on A Kindle Because It Has A Screen

Man gesturing with his fingers towards someone to come to his direction

Like the GIF above states, if you have your opinions that it isn’t just another tablet, then please comment to share them. Come at me with your opinions!😎When it comes to me saying that the Kindle is just another tablet, what I mean is that it is another screen that I’m staring at. Literally, how many times do we spend nowadays looking at our smartphones or tablets (in a kind manner of asking)? Many times. There is scientific evidence that proves that the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone or tablet each day. I couldn’t possibly live in a world where we stare at our devices much of the time. In my case, when I read from the Kindle, I wasn’t fully satisfied with the complete change that it brings to revolutionize the reading habits of many readers around the globe. For me, personally, something was amiss. Every time I read from a Kindle, I felt that I wasn’t giving myself a break from looking at a screen. This specific moment of looking at a screen every single day, from phone to Kindle, vice versa, was giving me a bit of withdrawal (not the medical term though) from not using books. After spending a few years with the thought pattern of preferring either a Kindle or book, I am dedicating myself to physical copies for the meantime and leaving e-books and e-readers to the side.

Man, there is something about books that the Kindle just doesn’t compete with

A character opens a book that emits magic out of its pages

Big reason to take away here! Books are a passion of mine. Whenever I see one at the local bookstore, I have an urge to get it though stopping myself at the last second since I have so much to read. There is something about physical copies that the Kindle can never fully replace. The smell of the book itself, the feeling of turning the pages, the content that is freshly boldened imprinted on each page in Times New Roman font (correct me if I’m wrong), the sensation of holding a physical book on the palms of both hands, the texture of the front cover, and much more. These are features that a Kindle cannot replace.

Books are my companions for comprehension and retention

If I read a paragraph and it doesn’t fully absorb into my head, then I’m missing out one hundred percent on what I’ve just read. Even though I’ve watched countless of videos of many Kindle guys and girls stating on how it has improved their reading speed, I don’t belong in that group. Why? Well, I’m a slow reader and consider it an advantage since I also write stories. Physical books have allowed me to develop the habit of slow reading, allowing me to comprehend what’s going on in the story and what techniques is the author using in order to move the plot forward. I personally do retain more, remembering of what I’ve read even if I read a bit faster, when it comes to reading on a physical book than in a Kindle. When I read on a Kindle, or any other tablet, I do tend to read fast and I can agree with other people out there that it is one of the benefits. However, retaining information is difficult for me if I read on a Kindle. I believe, personally, that it has to do from the combination of screen fatigue, digital distraction, and the lack of a physical sense of progressing through the story. When I mean physical progression, it means on how many more pages are left in order to finish.

No Distractions

Another reason on why Kindles are not my go to. Kindles need to be connected to the Internet in order to buy books. Not with physical copies though. There are no pop-ups, no notifications, and books are more easier on the eyes than a screen, especially at night time before bed. There is also another phenomena that has happened to me whenever I read from a Kindle: During my reading sessions through a Kindle, I noticed that using it would send me brain signals and an increased urge of picking up the phone to surf the Internet and check social media. However, if I switched that onto reading from a physical book, this urgency of picking up my smartphone lowered significantly. The lesson here is that if you use your tablet more, the more urges you’ll have on picking up the phone or any type of device.

*THESE ARE REASONS ON WHY THE KINDLE, THOUGH CONVENIENT, IS NOT MY GO-TO FOR READING*

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