Just like how music lovers have started to embrace the digital life, we’re sure book lovers are starting to do so too with e-books and e-readers. Given that an e-reader can store hundreds, if not thousands of books in a device that’s thinner and lighter than a book, it makes sense especially if you’re tight on space or you want the convenience of your library being with you wherever you go. This is why it is not surprising to find that according to a recent Pew study, it has been found that Americans in general are starting to read more e-books, with the numbers rising from 23% at the end of 2012 to 28% at the end of 2013. However despite the rise in e-books, it’s a bit strange because a different Pew study has found that 46% of Americans own a tablet or e-reader, suggesting that not everyone who owns a tablet might actually be using it for e-books, despite its ability to do so.
Now you might be thinking that with these numbers, it’s a scary thought to think that e-books might eventually replace physical books, but that does not appear to be the case. In fact the study found that e-books are actually supplements to physical books, with seven in ten adults claiming to read both physical and e-books, while only 4% claim to read e-books exclusively. Personally I find that reading a physical book is somewhat more comfortable and also a lot more familiar compared to an e-book. The benefits of e-books cannot be denied, such as environmental friendliness due to the lack of paper used, and also convenience, but sometimes going old school is not such a bad thing either.
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