We live in interesting times. So much is changing and so quickly, it's easy to get swept up by this ever evolving world we live in and easy to lose track of the path that has brought us to this juncture. Technology is constantly changing and growing, becoming more powerful and pervasive seemingly every day.There are, of course, positive and negative impacts of this cultural shift toward technological dependence. Computers, a thing of science fiction fifty years ago, are a mainstay of human culture today. The gadgets and tools of technology demand that the individual adapt or risk being left in the dust.
Burlington Vermont, the little city of arts and culture, is not immune to the creeping invasion of technology. Our cafes, still adorned with ancient oak beams and hand carved tables, also feature wi-fi and additional outlets to plug our devices into. No, this humble, creative city, so much in love with it's own uniqueness, cannot hope to keep the great surge of technology at bay.
It begs a distinct question: where to draw the line? When is technology a boon and when is it a hindrance? How much technology is too much; how can the individual take advantage of all that technology can offer without losing themselves?
No where is this question more important to consider than in the realm of digital books, or e-Books. The recent boom of hand-held devices, I-phones, tablets and e-Readers has ushered in a new, paperless age. This is a major turning point, a moment in human history when things are guaranteed to change and we must decide how to approach these changes, how to mold ourselves to take advantage of them.
A recent study by AdMob (a Google company) found that tablet use is replacing TV and desktop usage, especially in the home and during the week. While the study also points out that the vast majority of time on tablets is spent gaming, it also contained a staggering static: nearly 3 out of 5 individuals spend more time on their tablets than they do with a physical book.
This wave of the future is not without negative impacts though, as all things come with their downsides. E-Readers are not books, a distinction that is crucial to make when considering their impact on society. The written word, the physical act of putting pen to paper, is a mainstay of the cultured, civilized world. E-Readers break this norm, redefining books as bits and bytes.
Ben Aleshire, of The Salon (a poetry publication), points out one of the hidden dangers in technology: the need for the machines. “They [the product makers] are manufacturing necessity through planned obsolescence, making us upgrade products that are all essentially the same”. This is the danger of new, constantly evolving technology; it becomes easy to be left behind, the slightest lapse in product upgrading can result in a severely outdated machine, a lamentable state for the dedicated consumer.
And there are those who feel that e-Readers and digital books are not a positive or useful direction for technology to take. An article in PCWorld.com last year listed five reasons the e-Reader is unnecessary. The fourth reason listed in this piece mentions the environmental impact of e-Readers versus books. It's easy to assume that e-Readers would be more environmentally friendly, but that idea is not entirely accurate.
A study by Cleantech, commented on in a Cnet.com article, found that an e-Reader becomes more environmentally friendly if the user consumes more than 22 books a year. This does not account for the number of newspaper and magazine subscriptions that can be routed through e-Readers. From an environmental stand-point, this study proves that e-Readers can be more environmentally friendly, but they do pose certain risks. The issue turns on how much use a consumer gets out of the e-Reader.
But how many people actually read 22 or more books a year? A study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that the average American in 2007 watched two hours of TV a day, while they read for only an average of seven minutes. While this study is dated, the increase in technology usage in the past four years is obvious, so it is safe to assume that this trend is continuing.
E-Readers are not the end of reading, though. In fact, according to a study by Harris Interactive, people “who have e-Readers do, in fact, read more”. The study also found that “e-Reader users are also more likely to buy books”. A staggering 32% of Americans say they haven't purchased any books in the last year, while only 6% of e-Reader users say the same.
According to a Pew Research study, e-Reader ownership has gone up 12% since 2009, while tablets have similarly grown by 8%. People are starting to pick up on the tablet/e-Reader trend, making use of the compact and powerful technology to perform many of the functions of a household computer, news papers, magazines, books and more.
This is not likely the end for print media, though. A Pew Internet study found that people still rely on a variety of sources. Of the sixteen topics of regional importance that Pew surveyed, the majority of respondents claimed they fulfilled the needs of eleven of these topics through newspapers, primarily print editions. Americans who do follow local matters get the most out of print papers. The study also found a decrease in interest: fewer and fewer Americans follow topics like government on a regular basis.
While there is a certain amount of resistance to a movement toward a digital world, there is much to be gained from digital media. The ease and convenience, the simplified delivery methods and the sheer volume of literature that can be stored in a tiny device is staggering. Like all things, there has to be a middle ground, a place where e-Readers and books meet happily, with the consumer benefiting.
Ben Aleshire, again expressing his concern over American's addiction to media says, "the Internet is swallowing all of American life. It's a way of paying for information without [the consumer] realizing it". Without moderation and balance, there is not likely to be any middle ground on this issue. People can get a great deal out of this technology, so long as they don't become consumed by it.
For a city like Burlington, the question becomes one of aesthetic taste and relative usefulness. It's hard to argue with how useful an e-Reader or tablet can be. But it's equally difficult to argue with the sensation of turning a page, of holding a book in hand. Especially in a place like Vermont, where people take pride in the environment and can see the forest for the trees, this question of ease versus nostalgia becomes a major point between digital and physical reading material.
For a city that resides on the edge between a holistic, natural setting and the burgeoning potential of the digital world, this influx of technology is undeniable, important and still a cause for some concern. Burlington recently lost one of it's two major booksellers, as Borders closed its doors for good this summer. It seems unlikely that this source for literature will be replaced in any meaningful way. That factor alone could give rise to an increased use in e-Readers. The Fletcher Free Library features an extensive selection of e-Books.
Even Burlington College, a very small school with only a humble little library, is considering the possibilities of featuring digital reading material.
“I'd love to have a catalog of e-Books” says Jessica Allard, Burlington College's Librarian. “I could see having a couple of e-Readers in the library, if the money were there to support it. I think we could eventually save money by using them.”
This sentiment is easy to appreciate: in difficult economic times, people and organizations have to weigh the cost against the benefit of buying and maintaining an e-Reader. In that area though, e-Readers may have an edge on books. An article in The New York Times suggests that the average cost of a book is $26.00, while e-Books range from $9.99 to $12.99. If, in order to be environmentally sound, the e-Reader user has to read 22 books a year, the difference is more than $250.00. That amount easily covers the initial cost of the e-Reader.
See Chart.
If e-Readers continue to prove to be cheaper and more friendly to environment, using e-Readers may turn out to be the logical direction for consumption of literature and news. They can do all that a book can and more, even if they lack the physical impact some get from reading an actual book.
For those concerned about the demise of books and newspapers, this chart, by the Pew Research Center, shows just how important the local paper is to the individual. And there is always the actual touch of a book. For some, there is a value in turning the page, of smelling the fresh ink or simply holding a book.
It is also worth noting that e-Books and printed books, while identical in content at the moment, could very well lead to a knew style of writing. As Nicholas Carr points out in his book, The Shallows, "a printed book is a finished object". There is a finality to printing a book that boarders on the eternal. And this is something writers are aware when they write; they want their words to become a part of the cultural forever.
Digital text, on the other hand, demands none of this finality. Carr once again observes that "the pressure to achieve perfection will diminish" as more texts become digital, simply because of how easy it will be to edit these digital texts. This shift toward a more fluid form of writing is likely to take even greater hold if e-Books continue to supplant the printed word.
Perhaps there is room in the world for both options: variety is good. E-Readers appear likely to merge more with tablets like the I-pad, presenting a multi-function tool for reading, surfing the web, viewing video, listening to music and, of course, running apps. Books are a singular experience, a unique piece of human history.
After reading a great deal about this subject and talking to many enthusiastic readers, it seems safe to say that the best course for all of us is a variety of sources of media, from online to newspapers to books to word of mouth.
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