Source: Techn0treats
Society is modernising at a rapid rate and sometimes it freaks me out as a young adult of the millennial generation. Us ‘Millennials’ are meant to be the most tech savvy generation – always across the latest apps, consoles and android devices, escaping the great outdoors for the comfort of our couches.
American writer Marc Prensky dubbed our generation the digital natives where we speak the digital language of CMS, HTML and other fancy IT related terms. I’ve laughed at job descriptions that say you must be internationally fluent in the digital language – I expected a European language to be more likely. It certainly seems like the world of media is requiring more from its graduates, to be across the latest social media apps and analytics.
There are some things, however, that I want to hold on to from the past including reading a good old book – a proper paperback. I love the experience of smelling the pages, especially if I’ve bought a book from an op shop and thinking about the previous owners past.
It’s like a never ending legacy – turns out op shopping isn’t for clothes only! I feel like staring at a screen all day to be so unappealing and reading a book is naturally printed so your eyes can adjust to it.
Since the Kindle was first launched onto the global stage on November 19th, 2007 for a costly US $399, there has since been several new additions to the line including the Kindle 6’E which weighs an impressive six ounces. You can carry over 1000 books on the simple tablet with up to one month of battery life from the one charger.
If you carried over 1000 potential books you wanted to read, it would be ludicrous and also a lot more expensive and weighty. The latest additions Kindle Voyage and Kindle Fire HDX touch screen sensitive and available in 32 and 64 GB versions.
They’re portable, able to store heaps of e-books, and you can multitask – send emails and do what you have to do. So why are they so appealing and why is the appeal of a good old-fashioned book being lost?
Seeing someone read a book on a train is like seeing a hens tooth, its abysmal and frankly a rare species. The whole way of how we relate to everything around us seems to be wired to a charger, or we read books using a Kindle or namesake. I frankly don’t see the appeal. I much prefer the tactile and sensory engagement of reading a book and cant imagine looking at a screen if I was hooked on a novel for hours on end.
I don’t think its necessarily very healthy, sure it’s very practical and saves space – especially if you’re travelling and don’t have much room. But what is it about Kindles and e-readers that still has people intrigued? One positive is that you can multitask till your heart’s content whereas reading and switching to your mobile is such a first world problem!
For practical reasons I can definitely see the perks of owning a Kindle, and having an encyclopedia of books at your exposure, all at the click of a finger. Nothing worse than carrying a book everywhere and it being a bit of a dud – one click and you’re onto the next. What if you wanted to read 50 Shades of Grey without anyone else on the bus knowing? Don’t lie, we know you’re out there.
With a Kindle, no one will ever know! I’m always intrigued if someone is reading a book on public transport, you take a sneaky glance and imagine what a person is like based on the book they’re reading. With a Kindle the fun is gone.
No Comments