Nearly every student seems to be juggling several electronic devices at Syracuse University. Smartphones, tablets and laptops are around every corner.

Though technology is a huge part of the collegiate lifestyle, students have yet to abandon print altogether for e-books.

Mingxuan Tan, a graduate psychology major, prefers textbooks because of the physical experience they provide.

“You are able to flip back and forth,” Tan said. “For example, if I want to go back to a point where I want to double check, I can easily just flip it back, versus on a computer, where I have to scroll and click to go back. I’m not used to doing that when reading.”

Many students mentioned some of the downsides of reading electronically, such as the irritating glare of a computer screen and the distractions of a computer.

“I am used to using textbooks; they’re short, sweet and to the point,” said Andrea Lopez, a freshmen international relations major.

Cathy Mulford, library technician for access and resource sharing, said students and faculty face a dilemma. E-books are more environmentally friendly, but reading on tablets can be more difficult and distracting than a hard-copy textbook.

And actually, both book and electronic reserves in the library have decreased, Mulford said. Professors are uploading more assignments onto Blackboard.

Zhen Zheng, a sophomore in the School of Information Studies and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, said the reasons why many students choose textbooks instead of e-books do not apply to him.

He said students can use the Self Control application for Mac that can block any website from loading for a set amount of time.

Still, using an e-book likely means using an electronic device, whether it be a laptop or tablet. Monica Cheng, a senior forensic science and sociology major, said textbooks provide one tool that is separate from technology.

“When you have a textbook, it’s away from everything,” Cheng said. “You’re finally unplugged.”

Published on September 19, 2012 at 2:01 am

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