Now I Get It (or the Problem with my Kindle)

Don’t get me wrong. I totally love my Kindle. When mine was broken I had to go through serious withdrawal. I carry it around everywhere. But it has disappointed my expectations in some areas.

I hate using it to read the Bible. It takes forever to find a text. And then there is the problem that you have no idea what you are reading in the Bible, in the sense that there are no chapter or book headings at the top of the page. So what if I am reading “location 8300”? That means nothing. So for Bible reading, it’s a no go for me. (And this doesn’t even deal with the fact that you can’t have several versions open at the same time).

I also do not like using it to read any serious “study” kind of texts. You cannot flip back and forth or even skim for information. With serious texts, I don’t usually do a straight read through. I flip back and forth. I like to underline and compare texts. No can do with a Kindle. I do like the fact that I can see what other people have underlined and found significant in the book with a Kindle, but on the other hand, I find it difficult to “write” in the margins (I can make notes, but I find it difficult to find and read them afterwards). So another bust for Kindle.

And now we come to the real problem for me. I had high hopes to be able to use my Kindle to read my sermons and messages. No more ink and paper, no more wasting resources for “throw-away” sermons. Oh so ecological. But, then I actually tried using the Kindle. I got like totally lost. Yes, it’s highly legible and I loved being able to make the lettering larger. But you can’t look at a couple of pages at the same time, like I do when I speak (I almost always have the page I am reading from as well as the next page available, so I can glance ahead to see where I am going). When someone asks a question and I want to jump ahead to find the answer, I am never sure where that information is. If it was printed on paper, I would know what page it was on. I could visualize it and that doesn’t work with a Kindle. I wondered why I felt so very lost until I read this study, according to the U of W:

The digital text also disrupted a technique called cognitive mapping, in which readers used physical cues such as the location on the page and the position in the book to go back and find a section of text or even to help retain and recall the information they had read.

I rely heavily on visual clues. When I recite the verses I am memorizing in the Bible, I often close my eyes and “read” them from the page where they were printed. I do the same when I speak. I have “semi-memorized” the text, and although I am looking at the audience, I am “reading” in my mind’s eye. That is cognitive mapping and the Kindle doesn’t allow for that. It also explains why we often say, I can’t find that verse in your Bible, I need my own Bible where I can find everything. We have cognitively mapped our own Bible. ‘

I think it’s cool that I “get” it now and am okay with the limitations of the Kindle (or any e-reader). They serve their purpose for reading magazines or fiction. That’s their niche. But I believe we will be holding to printed books for our serious study. Aren’t you relieved? We get to have our cake and eat it too!