The debate about digital or print media seems to be too much of an all-or-nothing battle to me. As a writer, I realize that I need to be prepared to work in both media, and this is fine by me. Actually, it’s better than fine – in many cases, it has doubled my job opportunities, because there is so much content to be written for online consumption, and somebody has to write it, right?

 Likewise, the publishing industry is making changes to continue to evolve in both realms as reader demand fluctuates. Yet for some reason, the debate still rages, with one side claiming that newspapers are dying, and books are glorified dust collectors, and the other saying that the last thing people need is another screen. I’m just not sure why we have to choose between the two. Can’t we use both?

This morning I received an email message from a magazine I subscribe to, informing me that my print subscription included the digital version as well. I’m not a regular tablet user, but I do enjoy it as an occasional convenience (particularly for my family’s upcoming travels), so I was both pleased and surprised to receive this notice.

Call me old-fashioned, but I love print. I love books, newspapers, magazines – all of them. I love them for many reasons, not the least of which being that I’m a sensory person, and love to hear and feel the rustle of turning pages. I also love the joy of receiving the new issue of a print magazine in my mailbox, and the bundled up, extra thick edition of a Sunday paper on my porch. I love seeing my bookmark progress through a novel, and watching my daughter’s fingers gripping the pages of a board book, and turning them to see her favorite pictures.

But I think the roots of my love for the printed page have more to do with positive associations. Growing up, weekend mornings were pretty laid-back and lazy. I’d roll out of bed a little late, shuffle down to the kitchen and find my parents seated at the kitchen table, trading sections of the local paper. My dad would be leaned back in his chair, drinking coffee and perusing the sports page. My mom would have the sections sprawled on the table in front of her, and share interesting tidbits out loud with anyone who happened to be listening. I usually went right for the features, movie reviews and wedding announcements.

Moments like these are about more than reading. They’re about sharing, having conversations, and showing your loved ones what you find interesting.

It’s the same with books. Every night we read Goodnight Moon to our daughter, and she loves to linger on the page with the “old lady whispering hush,” and give the picture kisses. It’s her way of showing us her favorite part of the story. I guess I don’t feel like these moments would be quite the same if we were sharing them on a tablet (not to mention that our daughter’s “kisses” are a bit on the drooly side, and not great for electronics).

Despite my love of things printed, however, I absolutely see the benefits of embracing e-readers. As a former teacher, I used both online and printed content. But nothing got my students quite as excited as a chance to get their hands on electronics. While I don’t think that an all-digital resource library is essential to motivation, I think it offers a critical buy-in, and an enticing hook.

Still, too often kids get engrossed in electronics to the point of being anti-social. How many times have you tried to have a conversation with a teenager who is playing a game on a handheld electronic device? It’s almost impossible.

When I was a special education teacher, I had the opportunity to work in many different teachers’ classrooms. One of the best lessons I ever witnessed was in an alternative education program. The teacher’s first “lesson” of the day was having a group of students sit around a table, share coffee (or tea), and read the newspaper.

The “lesson,” which was once a commonplace occurrence in many households, was suddenly a novelty. But this novelty (along with the addition of a hot beverage on a cold winter morning) really got the students into the activity. When one of them read something interesting, he’d share it with the group, or someone next to him.

This kind of interaction is critical to teaching not just a love of reading, but positive, informed communication. It teaches kids how to interact with one another, and how to engage with what they read. It teaches them how to politely disagree, and defend or refute an idea. These skills are invaluable, and the physical act of passing around sections of print adds to the aspect of sharing common information.

I think to truly instill a love of reading in children, as well as encourage sharing information and starting conversations, we need to balance both print and digital media and literature. Newer and faster is great, but I’m not yet sold on it always being better.