I have been an avid reader my entire life. In kindergarten, I used to read on the bus to school, in the car, walking in line at school, and during recess. My hunger for words and passion for the literary pursuit have stayed with me ever since. I digress to name my favorite book, because I believe it’s simply too hard to choose. I love opening up the cover of a book, and passing through page by page until the inevitable end because when I read, I’m given names and explanations for emotions I’ve felt as well as thoughts I’ve thought before. What has confused me before and what I thought I was alone in discovering is given validation and explanation by another’s experiences inside a book. However, in today's world, nearly every aspect of life seems to be affected by technology. As a young woman in this world, with a double major in Communication Studies and English, an emphasis in Pre-Journalism, and goals and ambitions to become the editor of a major fashion magazine, I refuse to let technology impact one of the greatest joys in my life: the act of reading.
I joke that I'm already becoming one of those old people that hate new technology, but in all seriousness, this is something I feel incredibly strong about. I am wary of turning my prized hardcover books into just another communication technology. The progression of literature from the paperback to the Internet, in the form of e-books and wireless reading devices, threatens to eliminate all the valuable qualities of reading. Kindle was developed by Amazon and released in November of 2007. The inventor of this 3G wireless device with access to over 70,000 books, Jeff Bezos, hopes that it “is a revolution that will change the way readers read, writers write and publishers publish”. However, this revolution is not necessarily for the better.
Although the Kindle offers certain conveniences, it is not a replacement for the traditional book. This new medium of communication technology threatens to destroy, eliminate, and make obsolete the printed book, so children born twenty years from now will not even be aware that it existed. The printed book provides an overall more pleasurable experience than the Kindle and similar devices in that it is more relaxing and less of a strain to read. It is also economically advantageous and a better study aid.
Reading is a process based around the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, and readers benefit from the amount of time and effort they put into reading. So what does the purpose of reading become if there is no longer an active pursuit for literature? What benefits is the reader actually getting? From personal experience, I can say that searching through a compiled list of books on a small, brightly-lit screen is not nearly as rewarding or exciting as finding an intriguing book tucked away in the shelves of a library.
Printed books are also advantageous for our economy. The new communication technology of the Kindle benefits its inventor and seller, Amazon, but no one else. The elimination of printed books would put authors, publishers, libraries, and bookstores out of business. If the world were to eventually make a switch to entirely electronic reading, all reading-related professions would suffer and eventually become obsolete. If all reading were done on Kindles, there would be no need for publishers, libraries, or bookstores. Also, since books are sold for less on the Kindle than they are when printed, authors would be making less money and therefore, may stop writing. They may be forced to turn towards other career paths that would better meet their financial needs. If the prevalence of writers significantly diminishes, then the quality and variety of books would also diminish. If the Kindle overtakes the printed book as the most popular way to read, the literary world will see a significant and destructive economic strain.
As a student myself, I could not imagine sitting down at my desk to study without a book in front of me, but rather just staring at my computer screen. My system of note-taking is entirely reliant on the tangible article or book sitting in front of me. Overall, the Kindle simply isn’t practical for research purposes and the printed book has been proved to be a much better study aid.
Reading is one of my favorite leisure activities and I take pride in knowing that I am going to be an active, life-long reader. I can also guarantee that as much of my life continues to be touched by technological advancement and new mediums of communication technology, reading will never be. In this case, it’s definitely best to stick with the tried-and-true, or the good old paperback.
Don't let technology control you. Instead, take control of technology.
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