Out With the Old, In With the New

The Good Ole’ Days

Photo from Google Image

For centuries, printed word was the easiest way to get information, read books and stories, and entertain oneself. However, the times are rapidly changing and it’s time that everyone, including you book lovers out there, get with the times! Aren’t we all a little sick and tired of schlepping around giant texts and wordy novels that don’t contain any resources other than the written material itself that’s in them? Now, don’t get me wrong… I am in no means trying to put down any of the great classic works of any of the intellectuals and authors that we read about throughout our schooling. BUT, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to just highlight a single word such as “avaunt” or “thou” used by Shakespeare and have the definition appear right on the page? Well, now we can.

Technologically Advanced Books

I know, I know, “paperbacks are classic“,”there’s nothing like the smell of a new book”, “I like to hold a book when I read” are all thoughts that are popping into many of your heads while reading this. However, lets take these fe

w points away for a minute. Using a Nook, or Kindle has many different advantages that we just don’t have with regular paperback novels and texts. Looking up definitions, saving highlighted quotes, and having instant access to the sequel of a novel you just finished are all right at your fingertips. Is this technology not something to consider? As far as I’m concerned, this generation is willing and able to do most everything through their phones or tablets anyway… why not read something on it as well.

What About Magazines?

The beauty of most magazine companies out there is that all of their content that you pay to read when you buy one on the line of the grocery store, is sitting on their websites for free. All of the articles,

pictures, and interviews that we pay Cosmopolitan $7.99 for is all transferred to their mobile website at no charge whatsoever. Is this a form of trying to phase out print copies? Will we eventually pay for online content to these magazine companies? Most likely, however, we should be taking advantage of it now while it is free!

The Future

With all of the new advances in technology, it almost seems that it will be no time before absolutely everything and anything can be found primarily online. The time will come when newspapers will become scarce, libraries may have to close their doors or change their ways, and future generations may never even hold a paperback book. While these changes may seem a bit frightening, why not embrace it and try to learn and grow with the times? As intimidating as technology is and will become in the future, the only way to live around it is to adapt to it the best we can. It is important to remember that literary works are not going away, they are just changing their style.