I read a lot of books, most of them on Kindle through my smart phone. I like the back lighting, and being able to hold the smart phone in one hand, and the one-touch English Oxford Dictionary. I also like always having a book with me, like when I’m getting my oil changed. The feature I enjoy the most, however, is the ability to pull up a book instantly, from the convenience of my recliner. Why spend time at Barnes & Noble, unless you like the smell of new books, or the library, unless you like the cute librarian?

Over the last couple of years, with my bout with cancer, and my forced incapacitation, I’ve been reading more than ever–about a book a day (a life saver!). Sometimes, if I think the book is extraordinary, I’ll read it twice.

People know I’m recuperating and give me books. I’ll read a few pages to see if I like it. If I do, I’ll pull it up on Kindle. Why?–when I have a perfectly good paper book? I don’t like having to hold a book open with two hands, some of those books are heavy, the small print is too hard to read (yes, I have trifocals), and having to arrange a lamp light so it’s just so is a pain.

When I find an author I admire, I like to read other books that author has written. Which was what I was doing the other day. I ordered a book on Kindle from an author I admire. Kindle snarked back, “Hey, stupid, this book is already in your library.” Sure enough, there it was. I opened it up, and it went right to “Acknowledgments” which means I may have read the book already. Hmm. I didn’t believe it, so I started reading or rereading the book.

There it was, passages I had highlighted in yellow. I was stunned. I have no recollection, zero, of reading this book. In fact, I read the whole thing again, and not once did I remember any of it, even key passages that should have jogged my memory. What is going on with my brain?

I contacted my Primary Care Physician. He asked if I’d had my memory checked lately. I had, by a neurologist. The doctor said, “Well, there’s psychological and cognitive science that indicates reading on screens impairs memory and comprehension as compared to print books. It’s called ‘screen inferiority effect.’ It’s like how typing is inferior to handwriting which stimulates multiple centers of the brain.”

I asked ChatGPT if reading on Kindle numbs the brain. I thought ChatGPT might be biased since it’s computer generated like Kindle, but nope. “Studies suggest people may remember material better when reading on paper because they tend to interact differently with the text and have a stronger sense of location within the book.”

I asked a computer guru friend of mine. This cat has a Doctorate of Education and sets up computer systems for large companies. He doesn’t even own a smart phone, he’s flip phone only. He freaked. “Throw that blank blank Kindle away! When the bombs start falling and the grid goes down, the only history remaining will be what’s written on paper, not the internet that won’t exist.” I pretty much knew what his reaction would be.

I also wonder about teenagers and children. How does so much screen time affect developing brains? Or social skills?

To my knowledge, I haven’t had this problem of remembering what I read with print books. But I wasn’t reading the number of books I am now.

Today when I opened Kindle, it told me, “Congratulations, you’ve read for 383 consecutive days.” Is this a good thing or bad?

I did make a sincere effort to return to paper books. And I found I can’t. It’s too foreign and awkward trying to hold and read a real book. Conclusion: not only may books on line affect your memory, they may also be addictive, in a harmful sort of way. And if too much screen time is affecting my memory, well, I may have to reconsider my reading material. Maybe I could start a self-help group, “Screen Readers Anonymous: Restore Your Memory.”

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Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.