There’s no doubt that technology is growing at an alarming rate. Things that seem so advanced, like flying cars and hover boards, are actually just around the corner. E-readers are just another technological advancement that is sweeping the country. According to Pew Research Center, in January 2014 about 50 percent of Americans reportedly owned some sort of handheld device such as a tablet, iPad or e-reader. On all of these devices it is possible to download e-books and read them entirely from the screen.
There’s no doubt that e-readers make reading books more accessible. With just a click of a button you can have the newest novel at your fingertips. You no longer have to take a trip to the bookstore to find what you want. In an age where everything seems to be online, it only makes sense to make books accessible online as well.
But what are the drawbacks to having an increased use of e-books? Will e-books ever replace paper books altogether? Here are some reasons why e-books can never compare to the real deal.
1. The new book smell.
Everyone knows about the new book smell. When you run to the store and find that book you’ve been waiting months for. You finally crack it open and breathe it. That heavenly new paper smell is never something that you could get from reading an e-book.
2. Dog-earing the pages.
Even if you’re a stickler about keeping your books in prime condition, we’ve all dog-eared our pages at one point or another. For some reason that just seems like something that I’d miss if paper books disappeared altogether.
3. Bookstores.
Bookstores are some of the most amazing places on earth. Just stepping in and seeing those rows and rows of books will make any avid reader jump for joy. Going into a bookstore or library and wandering up and down the aisles will be a thing of the past if e-books take over.
4. Flipping the pages to see how many are left in the chapter.
This is something that I always do when I get really into a book. Right at the climax of the action I can’t help but flip to the end of the chapter to see when the madness is going to end. I admit it, I sometimes even read ahead to see if my favorite character lives or dies, so I can finally relax. Of course you could still do that with an e-book, but it’s just more difficult and frankly not as fun.
5. Bookshelves.
If you’re a book-lover like I am, you probably have a bookshelf somewhere in your room that is overflowing with books. They’re not only a nice decoration, but they also remind you of all the amazing books you’ve read every time you pass by it. It’s easy to just pull one out and start reading it again.
6. Downloading e-books.
Waiting for something to download is one of the most frustrating things ever. You watch the monotonous wheel turning and just can’t wait until it reaches 100 percent. And what if you run out of space on the e-reader because of all the books you’ve been downloading? That would be the ultimate nightmare!
7. Brightness on the e-reader.
They always tell you not to scroll through your phone at night. The brightness on the screen keeps you awake and soon you look up at the clock and realize that you should have gone to bed hours ago. You now only have a few hours left to sleep before you have to get up, and you’re exhausted. E-readers would do the same thing.
Overall, e-readers are amazing things. They allow us to access thousands of books at our fingertips. But honestly, I never want to give up paper books. Without them, the reading experience wouldn’t be nearly as fun.
