Online Reading

What Are the Pros and Cons of Online Reading?

Written By   Vishal Dani | Edited By Mike Harman | July 8, 2024 | Last edited on: November 20, 2024 | Blog

Online reading has become a part of the lifestyle for many people. Today, as the world is getting busier, more and more people are choosing this convenient method of consuming books over the traditional way.

If we account for eBooks exclusively, roughly  980 million readers exist around the globe! This surge results from the popularity of eBooks amongst readers and the convenience of creating eBooks amongst publishers. 

As self-publishing digital books has become easier with platforms like KITABOO, many publishers are coming forward to publish eBooks and monetize their digital content.

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But have you ever wondered what the pros and cons of online reading are? If not, this article is for you.

Let’s start!

Table of Contents

  1. Easy Accessibility
  2. High Convenience
  3. Immersive & Interactive
  4. Pocket-Friendly
  5. Eco-Friendly
  1. Technological Limitations
  2. Health Implications
  3. Highly Addictive
  4. Misinformation
  5. Minimum Contentment

Online Reading - Top 5 Pros

Online reading has many benefits attached to it. This is why it appeals to readers of all ages and backgrounds – adults, youngsters, working professionals, students, homemakers, and more.

For instance, five of its most common pros include:

1. Easy Accessibility

eBooks, PDFs, blogs, articles, digital libraries, discussion forums, etc., provide a plethora of knowledge and in-depth insight about different subjects and topics.

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So, through online reading, you are always just an internet connection away from exploring such a vast range of information. This easy accessibility is unparalleled and one of the biggest reasons behind its soaring popularity. 

2. High Convenience

There’s no hassle of carrying heavy books wherever you go. Thanks to online reading, you could just be carrying your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or any such compact digital device, and that’s it.

A significant number of books will shrink into weightless digital files and appear on your screen – whenever and wherever you want.

Also Read: What is eBook DRM and Why Do Publishers Need it?

3. Immersive & Interactive

eBooks can be fabricated in ways that they turn out to be more immersive and interactive than traditional books.

For example, KITABOO offers features such as text highlighting, annotation, and bookmarking that are unique to digital books only. Such interactive add-ons make online reading immersive and enhance the overall experience. 

4. Pocket-Friendly

Traditional books are super expensive. This means you’ll have a tough time saving money if you are an avid reader.

But on the contrary, digital books are very cheap. In fact, many online platforms also sell eBooks for free of cost or on affordable rent. This cost-efficiency is another major edge online reading has over offline reading.

5. Eco-Friendly

Data suggests that as many as 4 billion – 8 billion trees are slashed yearly to produce paper for books. This, in turn, ends up taking a huge toll on our surroundings and disrupts our ecosystem.

At the same time, there are no such environmental repercussions associated with online reading. As all the content is saved in a paperless file format, it’s environmentally healthier and a sustainable choice.

What Are the Cons of Online Reading - 5 Disadvantages

Think online reading only has boons to bestow on you? Think again.

Here are a few little-known disadvantages of online reading that you should be aware of;

1. Technological Limitations

Online reading is highly dependent on technology. While it has its pros, there are also several cons to it. For instance, you can’t read if your smartphone’s battery is down or if your device isn’t compatible with the file format of your eBook.

Alternatively, if you are in a ‘no-internet’ zone, you won’t be able to access your eBook. Although KITABOO offers an offline reading experience by letting you download your eBook, most other publishers don’t. This creates an acute discomfort.

2. Health Implications

Digital devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc., emit harmful blue light from their screens. This light is severely damaging to the eyes and causes multiple eyesight issues.

In fact, prolonged online reading is also proven to cause mental fatigue. So, one must be mindful of how many hours they spend reading online.

3. Highly Addictive

The habit of consuming content, even books, through digital means turns out to be dangerously addictive. This is part of the reason why 61% of the internet users are addicted to it.

Not only is this fixation harmful to an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but it also negatively impacts brain development in kids and teenagers.

4. Misinformation

One of the biggest reasons why many people steer clear of online reading is because it can be misleading sometimes.

Not all blogs, articles, or threads that you read on the internet are true and fact checked. So, it’s very easy to be misinformed and remain ignorant on a topic.

5. Minimum Contentment

eBooks can never replace traditional books and the experience associated with them. They may be more immersive and interactive, but the level of satisfaction you feel while reading a book, turning its pages, and finally finishing it is wholesome and unique!

So, while both provide the same knowledge, the level of contentment in online reading is much lesser than in offline reading.  

When it comes to traditional reading, the only option you have is books. But one can indulge in online reading in many ways. Three of the most common ones are:

  1. eBooks: eBooks, or electronic books, are one of the most prevalent modes of online reading. They refer to the digital version of printed books and are readily available online. They are highly interactive, consisting of elements like graphics, audio, video, animations, etc.
  2. Blogs & Articles: A very popular source of information for all who use social media, blogs, and articles are a type of digital written content. They are available on online websites, and they generally cover everyday topics in minimum words. 
  3. PDF Documents: These are downloadable pieces of written content that often contain reports, scientific studies, research papers, etc. Apart from academic information, PDF documents sometimes also offer novels, poetries, and storybooks in a digital format.

Wrapping Up

Online reading has both – superb benefits and severe disadvantages. But it all boils down to how you approach it.

While reading for hours on end regularly can have negative implications, online reading is fantastic if you have time constraints or need more flexibility.

In this blog, we summarized all the major advantages and disadvantages of online reading. 

For more information on digital books, publishing, and all things reading, check out KITABOO now!

Contact our expert team now and get started!

To know more, please write to us at contact@kitaboo.com.

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Vishal Dani

Vishal Dani

Vishal is the Senior Vice President and Head - Cloud Platforms & Technology at KITABOO. He leads the product development group and technology solutions. More posts by Vishal Dani