How many times have you asked or been asked: “How can you read on that thing? I love the feel of a real book. I hate eReaders.”
Whether you’re the one hearing it or the one saying it, I understand — I am both a digital and ‘real book’ reader. I work as a bookseller and at my bookstore, we encourage those Fifty Shades and Fault in Our Stars buyers to keep reading after they finish this year’s blockbuster. So when I read about people like Shannon Rupp renouncing digital reading on eReaders as a habit that disrespects and rushes the reading process, I want to tell her to just be happy more people are reading.
Firstly, let me educate Rupp, who seems to think her iPad counts as an eReader. An iPad is not a dedicated eReader, but a tablet with internet access, an LCD screen, and an abundance of apps. Kobo and Kindle are dedicated eReaders, meaning they were made specifically for reading with their E-Ink screens that mimic the words on the page of an actual book. They don’t strain your eyes or give you a headache like a tablet will because they aren’t backlit; they’re ‘front-lit,’ meaning they project the light onto the screen from the sides.
New eReaders have a battery life of around two months, unlike an iPad, which will last for about 10 hours of use. The objective of an eReader is to replicate the paper-book reading experience as closely as possible, and I feel that it replicates it pretty well, if not improves it. When the actual-brick-weight fifth book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series was released, I said “no way” to the $40 hardcover and bought the $16 eBook. In some circumstances, eBooks are just the better alternative.
The objective of an eReader is to replicate the paper-book reading experience as closely as possible.
According to Rupp, eReaders “homogenize” art like literature, making the reading experience the same for everyone. I don’t understand where they’re coming from. It’s always been the plot that sets a book apart — not its form. Rupp insists that eBooks force the reader to read faster rather than lingering to think as they would with a paper book. When did people become so opinionated about how other people read?
When I’m not reading for class, I’m definitely reading for pleasure. I read the newest books that have the best reviews because all I need is a story to get lost in. I’m still thinking, but I’m not approaching a novel as a ‘learner’ because reading fiction for pleasure is one of my stress-relievers. It distracts me on the elliptical machine, on a boring public transit ride, and during the tedious 15 minutes I spend drying my hair in the morning.
The fact that half the time I choose to read those books digitally doesn’t affect my reading experience, or how much I’m thinking. Simply put, eBooks aren’t ruining our reading experience nor are they a hazard. If anything, they’re a more economical, portable, eye-friendly alternative for those of us who need slightly larger font or who pack five-too-many books on a camping trip.
People might assume I’m just another digital native in my generation defending the technology she’s grown up with. But let me tell you, I buy print books. I buy so many print books that I’m running out of shelf space and money for rent. I can read both print and digital, and I enjoy having the option. Reading is an extremely personal experience, so save your disdain about eBooks and quit bothering everyone with your print book elitism.
