Today, most people spend a significant amount of time in front of screens and rarely read from printed books. As a result, books are expected to gradually disappear—a theory that emerged at the beginning of the 21st century and has been debated for decades. The question "Will the mouse eat the book?" was even used as a topic in a journalism entrance exam at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.
To what extent has the internet consumed us? Have Bulgarians stopped reading printed books?
Official data from the public portal of the National Statistical Institute, covering the past two decades, sheds light on the ongoing battle between printed and digital text in Bulgaria. One undeniable fact is that the percentage of people using the internet at least once a week has grown significantly, with a sharp increase over the past decade, affecting even those with lower levels of education.
Book publishing in Bulgaria reached its peak in 2018, followed by a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even then, the total print run of published books remained higher than it was 15 years ago. In terms of the number of published titles, the growth has been even more pronounced, continuing to rise even during lockdowns. Anyone who wants to write can do so. And there are still readers.
What could be the reasons for this?
If we ask what the advantages of reading printed books are, we can turn to the insights of neuroscientists and psychologists worldwide, who largely agree on the following points:
- Stories are better remembered when read from a printed book. This is because our brains respond differently to the tactile experience of a screen compared to paper. The way we process information favors the "old-fashioned" book. Our brains associate text with its spatial position on the page, and the physical sensation of holding a book—feeling its thickness and texture—helps reinforce memory.
- E-books encourage "skim reading." When using digital devices, we unconsciously develop a habit of quickly scanning text. This behavior becomes ingrained, leading our brains to process information in a fragmented manner—starting from the top left corner and rapidly moving to the bottom—making it harder to fully absorb the content.
- Empathy, triggered by an emotionally powerful story, is stronger when reading from a printed book compared to a digital version.
- Reading fiction improves sleep quality. Scientists are unanimous on this point: reading a printed book an hour before bed helps the brain enter a state of relaxation and comfort, which is difficult to achieve when reading from a Kindle or smartphone.
Clearly, the mouse isn’t eating the book—because each belongs to a different realm.