Do children prefer printed or electronic books? Josianne Facchetti opens the first chapter with five children.

When it comes to technology, the main difference between adults and children is that adults have to make a transition from what they have been used to all their lives to what they have to adapt to. This transition is eventually made with some or, in some cases, a lot of resistance and poring over manuals. Children, however, take to new technology like the proverbial duck to water.

After handling the e-book, there was no way of getting Sophie to look at the printed book again

We hear a lot of comments from adults about e-books, but we hardly ever get to consider children’s point of view, their reaction and how they adapt to this developing technology. Would children, for instance, prefer to read a printed book or find the experience of reading an e-book more fun?

It’s a question I’m keen to answer. Which explains why I’m sitting next to six-year-old Sophie as she turns the pages of a printed copy of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

“I remember the king and the cards,” she says.

Then she continues discussing the story as she turns page after page, looking at the illustrations in the book.

I then give Sophie an e-book with the same illustrated story. Although she has never handled an e-book before, she quickly starts flipping the pages backwards and forwards as if she had used it all her life.

Her mother asks her what she likes most – looking at the printed pictures or flipping the pages of the e-book?

“Flipping the pages,” is Sophie’s quick reply.

After handling the e-book, there was no way of getting Sophie to look at the printed version again.

Then I turn to eight-year-old Sean who, when given the printed book of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, immediately starts reading it.

“Sometimes I read to mum before I sleep and sometimes she reads to me,” he says.

Sean’s mother then gives him the e-book of Alice in Wonderland. He smiles and looks at it for a few seconds, quickly figuring out how it works. Then he too starts flipping the pages and reading it as if he had always owned one.

“How many books do you think there are in that device,” I ask him.

“12, maybe?” Sean replies.

In fact, a few thousands e-books could be stored on any e-reader.

In future, children will not need to carry so many books as they would only need their e-book device where they would store all their textbooks.

South Korea, for instance, plans to have schools completely book-free by 2015. The South Korean government is pouring $2 billion into buying a tablet for every student, along with a cloud computing system that will give children access to a wealth of information on a hand-held device which holds more textbooks than the children could ever carry on their backs. Other countries are also planning to follow South Korea’s example.

Of course, losing or breaking an e-book device would have worse consequences than tearing some pages from a book.

Sitting next to Sean, six-year-old Jeremy says he prefers printed books because the words are bigger. However, the font can be adjusted on e-books according to the size the reader prefers. Although Jeremy says he prefers the book, he does not want to stop flipping the pages of the e-book, looking at the illustrations and commenting on the story.

Fleur and Estelle, who are identical seven-year-old twins, usually read stories on their own or to each other. As they read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, they ask their mother the meaning of some of the more difficult words.

However, when they are given the e-book, their eyes open wide. They laugh when they get the hang of how to turn the pages. This is probably because flipping pages on an e-book makes a short hissing sound.

Sean says the sound is similar to turning the page of a book. However, the e-book makes a louder noise. This is probably why Sophie prefers to flip the pages rather than look at the pictures.

“It’s like a book,” says one of the twins.

Then the twins ask their mother to buy them an e-reader. They move closer to each other to have a better look and to use it. It is clear that they show more interest and enthusiasm in reading when they were introduced to the e-book. The books on their laps are completely ignored.

Bringing their children to read e-books proves to be an expensive afternoon for the parents as all the children now want a device similar to the one they have in hand.

It seems that children naturally take to new technology. This is probably because children have been born in the digital era and they are used to how technology is constantly developing.

Therefore, unlike adults, they have no resistance – on the contrary, they are completely open to it. There are, in fact, children who have admitted that they grew fond of reading once they had an e-reader.

At the Digital Book World held in New York this year, executives predicted that by 2014 half of units sold will be in e-book format.

The future of reading seems to be steadily heading towards this technology. E-readers are becoming cheaper while e-books cost a fraction of printed books. They can be downloaded in a few seconds and are environmentally friendly as no paper is needed for printing.

This technology has not yet gained momentum in Malta. However, this is not because adults and especially children do not want it, but because it is not yet so readily available or promoted enough on the market.

Adults might struggle to adapt to reading an e-book and might miss the pleasure of “curling up on the sofa with a book” as one of the children’s parents said.

However, children are bound to experience a more seamless and effortless transition to a new technology that they will eventually use not only in their free time but also at school.