Will Hardcopy Books Become Antiques?

Today we are in the midst of a paradigm shift when it comes to technology.  As an avid reader, I am concerned about what impact it will have on print media.  Many, including myself, love the feeling of a crisp, new book in our hands.  Or rather, we love the worn binding and folded over pages found on a used, aged book that has been devoured by other readers.  As I continue my undergraduate degree as a mass communications/ journalism major, this topic is directly relevant to my future endeavors. However, we must all pay attention to how we obtain our news because it seems that this will affect all of us in the next several years as the digital age continues to transform and overpower print media.

While this issue may seem like purely a matter of preference, if one prefers a hard copy or a digital copy of a work, it will be relevant to all of us as we continue our education.  For example, many college students are opting to purchase their online version of their textbooks for a lower cost, instead of spending thousands on the hard copies.  Rather than lugging heavy books to and from class, their course materials can be found on their laptop.  This luxury is desirable to many young adults.  

In addition, new inventions such as E-books contribute to the decline in the purchase of hard copy books.  E-book readers like the Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble's Nook are flying off the shelves, especially this past holiday season, where sales of these gadgets boomed and interest in them spiked.  I avoid staring at a computer screen in order to read. However, I have heard only positive things about these e-readers, which are specifically made with better lighting quality. These devices help to ensure that the reader will not get a headache that may ensue from staring at a screen for hours on end.  Even though I may be more old school when it comes to what and how I read, I prefer the morning paper to my blackberry or laptop, although I am still hoping to receive a Nook for my birthday gift.  I am curious to try it, and I am sure I will like it based on its easy accessibility to all types of reading materials and compact size.

The time period in which we live is fast paced and ever changing and evolving.  As consumers, we are constantly being bombarded with new technologies and are pressured to keep up with these advances in the fear of being left behind the times.  Often, I look to the past nostalgically, viewing it as a simpler time, away from distraction and the importance of material gadgets.  While this technology is exciting and time saving, I hope we never get to the point that there is no use for a bookstore or daily newspaper subscription.  We have to wait and see what the future holds in regards to how we will access information.  Will an iPad or iPhone take precedence over an antiquated book?