Reading books is good for you - it's official

I am one of the dying breed, those who still read books made of paper. I've never been tempted to invest in an e-reader, or to download books onto my phone to squint at. I LIKE books, especially secondhand books, and have found no compelling reason to abandon them for the sake of technology.

Well, it seems that a bunch of studies back me up in my decision. For example, readers of books have been shown to retain more of the plot than those who read from tablets, as well as having a better understanding of the narrative, and feeling more immersed in the story and more empathetic to the characters. Young children also have a better comprehension of a story read to them from a book than from an electronic source, partly because they get less distracted and focus better.

And there are other advantages: electronic books cause screen fatigue and eye strain, leading to blurred vision, redness, dryness and irritation; e-books also lead to more temptation to distraction on the internet (e.g. looking up words, etc) and trying, unsuccessfully, to multitask; blue light from screens messes with melatonin levels and circadian rhythms, making it harder to get to sleep, and leading to grogginess on waking; and the tactile feel and even the smell of books can result in a feeling of well-being that e-reader just cannot replicate.

So, I may be an unapologetic throw-back, but at least I have some scientific research behind me now.