The Demise of Things
Books.
Yes, I used a whole paragraph for that.
Today, I choose to write this post to hint a bit at what I would call exagerations of the modern world. The very constant battle you can listen to now everyday on whether books are being left on the shelves for their supposed substitutes: ebooks. Or in short, any form of digital text, which is now getting easier and easier to access and read. Not only on computers or tablets, but on devices designed purposely for the reading of digital text.
To go at this from a very simplistic point of view we have to look at two of the factions: the extremes. The ones that can be used better to get this over with. The ones that say ebooks are the future of reading, and the ones that say ebooks should be eradicated, because otherwise, real paper books will.
Now, I won't even bother using the 'vinyl argument' here. The main point is that, even though I'm not particularly tech-savvy, I cannot possibly deny the advantages of sometimes reading in digital form. I don't mean sitting in front of your computer reading large chunks of text, as I find that absolutely nauseating, but the fact that you can easily carry a piece of plastic with you that contains a huge amount words, and possibly other things, is extremely useful, cannot be denied.
The fear remains that such modern behaviour could ever bring about the demise of books. While there's a shred of possibility of decreasing the necessity for books, I find this view greatly exagerated. Books are here to stay, like they did for years. It's not just the sensorial pleasure of reading a book, but rather the improbability and the cultural meaning carried that is too great to be denied. Books, as a medium, are also insanely practical, aesthetic, historical, cultural, and arousingly pleasant.
They're also great for filling shelves and making you look like an intelectual.
Don't worry, we'll keep our books. One thing is getting rid of CDs, another is getting rid of something that brings you an experience that is much greater than anything digital. Unless the world becomes fully digitalized and our brains too, I don't think we should fret just yet.
Enjoy your reading.
Yes, I used a whole paragraph for that.
Today, I choose to write this post to hint a bit at what I would call exagerations of the modern world. The very constant battle you can listen to now everyday on whether books are being left on the shelves for their supposed substitutes: ebooks. Or in short, any form of digital text, which is now getting easier and easier to access and read. Not only on computers or tablets, but on devices designed purposely for the reading of digital text.
To go at this from a very simplistic point of view we have to look at two of the factions: the extremes. The ones that can be used better to get this over with. The ones that say ebooks are the future of reading, and the ones that say ebooks should be eradicated, because otherwise, real paper books will.
Now, I won't even bother using the 'vinyl argument' here. The main point is that, even though I'm not particularly tech-savvy, I cannot possibly deny the advantages of sometimes reading in digital form. I don't mean sitting in front of your computer reading large chunks of text, as I find that absolutely nauseating, but the fact that you can easily carry a piece of plastic with you that contains a huge amount words, and possibly other things, is extremely useful, cannot be denied.
The fear remains that such modern behaviour could ever bring about the demise of books. While there's a shred of possibility of decreasing the necessity for books, I find this view greatly exagerated. Books are here to stay, like they did for years. It's not just the sensorial pleasure of reading a book, but rather the improbability and the cultural meaning carried that is too great to be denied. Books, as a medium, are also insanely practical, aesthetic, historical, cultural, and arousingly pleasant.
They're also great for filling shelves and making you look like an intelectual.
Don't worry, we'll keep our books. One thing is getting rid of CDs, another is getting rid of something that brings you an experience that is much greater than anything digital. Unless the world becomes fully digitalized and our brains too, I don't think we should fret just yet.
Enjoy your reading.
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