"Who uses books anymore?" This question was posed to me by a friend back in 2012 as we discussed George R. R. Martin's "A Dance With Dragons" book from his "A Song of Fire and Ice" series. Having always been an avid reader, at the time, I thought my friend was talking nonsense because there could be no replacement for books. That is until I received an original Kindle as a gift in 2013.
Before receiving my Kindle I was very skeptical about using an e-reader in place of traditional books. I just couldn't understand how someone would prefer to use a digital device instead of a paper book. At the time, I thought all e-readers were similar to computer screens, placing much stress on the eyes after prolonged use. I just couldn't imagine why anyone would want to damage their eyes this way.
On my birthday in 2013, my then girlfriend surprised me with the original Kindle. I was ecstatic because I knew this device would allow me to store thousands of books, something I greatly admired. But, at the same time, I was a little bit disappointed because I absolutely loved my traditional books. After setting up the Kindle, I began to realize the screen greatly resembled that of a traditional book. I had heard rumors that e-readers were terrible because they created an unbearable glare when used in sunlight. I decided to test this by placing the e-reader in different sunlit angles around my home. Much to my surprise, I discovered that there was virtually no glare. The only downside I encountered was the Kindle required me to be in a fair amount of light given it doesn't contain its own lighting source. I quickly remedied this with the purchase of a leather case with a built in flashlight. The case itself cost me $20 and is powered by the Kindle (please see the image below).
The biggest perk that convinced me e-readers are better than traditional books is the weight of the original Kindle. According to Amazon, the Kindle weighs less than 6 ounces, whereas a typical paperback book weighs around 10 ounces or more, depending on length. While the weight difference may not seem significant between the original Kindle and a book, the weight difference becomes a major factor when one begins to consider how a Kindle can hold thousands of books, never increasing in weight. All my fellow college students can testify to just how much a bunch of books can weigh when grouped together. With the transition of many textbooks to digital formats, a Kindle seems like a relatively cheap (the original Kindle is selling for $79 with WiFi capabilities) replacement for a horde of books.
After nearly two years of owning an original Kindle, I can safely say I would not trade it in for all the books in the world. The sheer conveniences that the Kindle provides me are enough to overcome and negatives associated with the e-reader. The ability to have thousands of books, including textbooks, in one's pocket for less than half a pound is remarkable. The Kindle provides an interface that is almost completely identical with that of traditional books. The only thing I miss anymore about traditional books is the feeling of physically turning pages. Overall, I would recommend a Kindle to any reader, regardless of age or book preference, as it is a comprehensive device that surpasses expectations in nearly every category imaginable.
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References:
http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Lighted-Leather-Paperwhite-Keyboard/dp/B004SD213O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426522274&sr=8-1&keywords=kindle+case+with+light
http://avgpostageweights.blogspot.com/2010/10/average-weight-of-paperback-book.html
https://ihugmybooks.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/discussion-e-readers-vs-books/
We live in a day and age where many people have access to the Internet via a personal computer, laptop, or smartphone device. With this abundance of electronic devices in the world, many media platforms have adjusted their services to be able to be delivered via these electronic devices. One such media platform is the news business.
Traditionally, news outlets have shared their information with the world through the use of newspapers, radio, and television. As technology has grown over time, members of the news media realized they could utilize the Internet to deliver information and stories at previously unheard of speeds. This shift from printed media to electronic media is evident when one looks at how much the media in the United States spends on advertising on both platforms.
According to the chart above, during the period of 2010 - 2014, advertising costs in television remained roughly the same, digital advertising increased at an approximate rate of 2% per year, and advertising in print media declined at nearly 2% per year. The chart also indicates that these trends are expected to continue for the next couple of years. This comprehensive overview shows that advertising in print media is on the decline and advertising digitally is on the rise, a trend that is no doubt occurring as more people elect to use their Internet ready devices to access digital versions of media platforms.
As technology continues to grow, the way in which media platforms exist will grow too. The amount of advertising revenue that is collected from print media is on the decline, due to the ever-growing popularity of Internet ready devices capable of delivering news at a faster pace than traditional newspapers, radio, and television. While there is still a market for print media, electronic media appears to be the future and all current media platforms should shift their focus to the digital aspect of media or face being left in the dust of their competitors.
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References:
http://www.academia.edu/4619886/Print_Media_vs._Electronic_Media
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mobile-phones-could-kill-the-news-media-2013-1
http://www.motherjones.com/media/2009/05/newspaper-v-internet
