As we progress into the future, it seems that everything is going digital. From reading books to newspaper articles, everything seems to be moving into our tiny handheld devices. More recently, even schools have started integrating the digital world into daily school life. About three years ago, AHS put out money to provide every student in the AUSD schools a personal Chromebook to use for school purposes. This came as exciting news to all students because who doesn’t want a free laptop (with restrictions of course). This also came as shocking news to those students who really enjoy or learn better from the physical textbook when they saw their classes implementing E-books instead of physical copies. To give some perspective, senior Nicole Cao was all hands on deck for E-books because “they are efficient and textbooks cause back problems.” Nicole was not hesitant to exchange the pounds of pages for a lighter chromebook because she loves to go on study dates and when she only needs to bring a thin laptop, “It makes it a lot easier to get things done and study efficiently.”

Senior Alvin Tran has been enjoying his lighter backpack, as most of his classes have either class copies of the textbook or E-books. He really enjoys using E-books because he loves technology and completing his tasks digitally. He could not express enough how much more convenient they are and how they take up very little space. E-books seem to be favored by many students and teachers because the digital aspect provides for a greater learning experience. E-books not only provide a digital copy of the textbook but also contain resources such as videos and extra practice activities that the book cannot offer.

However, there are some people who find both just as useful. Sophomore Joshua Mar likes both forms because “E-books are simply more portable and easy to use around the day, but textbooks make it easier to see the information off a page instead of reading it off a screen.” Many argue that reading off screens are just downright unhealthy for the eyes and body. Doctors are always recommending to look at screens for only one to two hours a day. If we are in school for seven hours, we already risk damaging our eyes, and not to mention the screen time after school. As shocking as it is, it does not stop students from the convenience of a laptop because the portability and efficiency make it more worth it.

Even though there are pros and cons to both forms, it seems as if almost all students would prefer E-books over textbooks because they are portable, efficient, convenient, and also eco-friendly. All in all, whether you are a fan of E-books or a traditional person who will always favor the physical copy, the most important thing is that it works for you. If you learn best from one over the other, then stick to it.