Technology has a funny way of taking the status quo and flipping it right on its head. Thanks to the instant gratification of music streaming, the beloved CDs that held all our nostalgic pop hits of middle school are catching dust in mom’s basement. Because of apps like Uber and Venmo, payment means swiping our phone screens instead of our credit cards. Just when we’ve mastered the art of Facebook stalking– bam! — suddenly we find ourselves lost in a never-ending list of these things called “Snapchat stories.” It’s a whole new digital era full of life, liberty… and the pursuit of social media likes?
So, five years ago when Amazon introduced its first Kindle e-reader onto the market, it seemed that the status quo was flipping once again. Sales surged, and e-readers topped Christmas lists around the country as U.S. consumers hopped on the newest tech bandwagon. People declared print as good as dead. Physical books were stuck on the backburner, and everyone started referencing Fahrenheit 451. Besides, who wants to lug around a couple pounds of pages when they can have an entire digital library at their fingertips?
Apparently a lot of people. Far from being dead and buried, print books are very much alive. Although e-book sales are still growing, it’s at a much slower rate than their initial exciting intro. A 2012 survey found that people seemed to be over the hype – 59% of Americans had “no interest” in buying e-books. According to Pew Research, only 30% had actually purchased them that year. Hold onto your bookmarks, folks.
There’s just something about sifting through the worn, earmarked pages of your favorite book that a cold, hard screen can’t possibly provide. Sitting down with a steaming cup of coffee and a hardback-cover classic marks an experience that trumps the sleek, lightweight accessibility of e-books.
This begs the question: in the battle of Nooks vs books, who will emerge victorious? For now, it seems as if both can exist peacefully side by side. Almost 90% of e-book users today continue to read physical books, relying on both for their literary fix. While e-readers might serve as clutch resources for textbooks and on-the-go entertainment, trips to your local quaint coffee shop or lazy Sunday mornings are best paired with a quite literal page-turner. (In my opinion, “page-swiping” just doesn’t have the same ring to it anyway).
If print books have avoided the grave thus far, I don’t see them kicking the bucket anytime soon. They’ve withstood the onset of the digital age and are onto the next chapter. After 500 years on the shelves, what’s a couple hundred more?
If they can make e-books that give you papercuts and smell like your grandmother’s attic in a strangely endearing way, I’d really be impressed. Until then, I think I’ll stick to flipping pages. Later, Nook… and long live the book.
Follow HCND on Twitter, like us on Facebook, Pin with us and show our Instagram some love!
Sources: 1