How Technology Has Changed the Way We Enjoy Books
It’s no secret that technology has transformed the way that the modern world works, and even simple tasks, such as reading a book, has been affected by the digital switch.
While some book fanatics are still too in love with the way the covers feel in their hand to branch out, others are embracing the numerous, varied options that technology has created for literary lovers to enjoy their favorite pastime.
Whichever your preference, it’s undeniable that things are changing. Some have even predicted that eventually conventional books will become obsolete. Here are just a few of the many differences that have transformed the way we read over the last few decades.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks were probably the first change to happen and have been around for a while now. In their infancy, we are talking about storybook cassettes and novels on CD, but now this industry is far greater, numerous and convenient than ever before. Both Audible and Amazon are comprehensive resources that allow users to download endless audiobooks with complete ease.
Also, The benefits of being able to listen in the way are many. Not only are they great when you’re tired and can’t handle staring at a page, but audiobooks are also good to help preserve eyesight in the long run. Alongside this, they can make the story come to life, with emphasis on humor and explorations of accent and voice.
eBooks
For others, the biggest technological reading revolution comes in the form of eBooks themselves. This very simple concept took books from paper and put them straight on your screen, and since the release of the Kindle in 2007, this format has shot through the roof in popularity!
With well over a million titles available on the platform, and numerous lesser-known and independent authors now, more commonly, leaning towards PDF releases, using an eReader device of this nature is basically like having a library in your pocket. It’s by far the best choice for traveling and just a super convenient way to keep your reading collection compact and portable!
Online Distributors
Not only has technology had an influence on the types of format that we read, but it’s also revolutionized the ease with which was can get new books. While once buying a novel involved a drive to the local bookstore or sift through the bookshelf section of your neighborhood thrift shop, now you can make a purchase with ease, no matter where you are.
Whether you’re aiming for hardbacks, softbacks, audio or eBooks, all you have to do is head over to the appropriate website, make your choice and input your details, and within minutes, your purchase will be on its way. You can also easily compare prices, and search for used copies of your favorite novels, so it’s a fantastic option for book-lovers on a budget.
Book Forums
It’s not just buying and reading books that have been transformed by our age of technology: researching them, talking about them, reviewing them and anything else you can think of has become a thousand times more convenient thanks to the internet.
Now, heading to your local book club doesn’t involve piling into a stranger’s house for an hour of awkward conversation with people you don’t really know. Instead, there are hundreds of fantastic online forums where you can read reviews and discuss ideas about your favorite stories with like-minded people.
Associated Risks
Fifty years ago, if you told someone that reading their favorite book in public could result in their bank account being drained, you would have been looked at like you were crazy. Unfortunately, today, this is a possible situation. While warnings about internet security fall mostly on deaf ears, it wasn’t until a friend had an extremely unfortunate encounter with her Kindle and a coffee shop that I realized this was a serious factor.
Apparently, connecting to public WiFi, like the coffee shop network she was using, allows everyone else logged into the same system to see your data. So when, unknowingly, she input her credit card details to the Kindle store to make a purchase, they were hijacked by malicious hackers! You can get specific tools that can help protect you from these risks, but more often than not it’s wise to save the purchasing till you’re at home.
While not everyone is onboard the recent reading revolutions, it’s undeniable that things are changing. If you have any experiences with technology and reading that you’d like to share, then be sure to leave a comment below!
About the Author:
Caroline is an entertainment and technology blogger and an avid reader. She loves combining her passions to get the most out of modern entertainment, and she hopes her tips can help others!
“Technology has indeed transformed the way we enjoy books. From audiobooks making stories come to life to the convenience of eBooks, online book shopping, and virtual book forums, it’s a literary revolution. However, as you rightly mentioned, internet security is a crucial concern in this digital age.”
I agree. Both options are good and subjective but my preference is physical books. The main reason I started book reading was to get rid of screen time and it is not possible if i read from eBooks. And I must appreciate that blogs like yours and https://dharapaper.com/blog/top-reasons-paper-books-are-still-more-popular-than-e-books/ are so engaging and interesting to read.Keep doing great!
I still own a few auidobooks on CD like Twilight and Death Angel by Linda Howard that I eventually moved over to my iPod once I embraced that technology. I was late to the e-book reader party and didn’t buy a Nook HD+ until 2014. I actually read via the Kindle app on my laptop more than on my Nook HD+ now because I love reading on a 17″ screen and being able to share quotes and my reading progress on GoodReads. For some reason, the Nook doesn’t allow readers to share directly to GoodReads which is insanely inconvenient.
I also never thought about the danger of connecting to public Wi-Fi at the bookstore and then later buying an ebook on Amazon. I used to have security extended to my cellphone, so I’ll have to see about downloading it again. Thanks for reminding us about Wi-Fi security issues!
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I love this post. I agree with you that technology has change so much. As an audiobook junkie, it has made my life a whole lot better. I can’t image having the limited selection of the old books on cassette having to carry around a Walkman to listen to books.
I would also add that in the digital it has given authors so much more power to publish what they want. I think this as given us a much bigger variety of books to read, for better or worse. With self publishing, if the author can’t get the book published through a traditional publisher (or chooses not to), they can do it all on their own. This is not something that was available 20+ years ago. I read a ton of self published books/authors. Many have great stories to tell and many of those stories would never sell enough to make it for the big name publishers. That doesn’t mean they are great stories. They just don’t serve the masses.
Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted…Savage Urges Audiobook by Suzanne Wright (REVIEW)
I never got into the audio books when they were books on tape, because it was so bulky and silly looking. My friend would always listen to books on tape and it was kind of awkward to me. I’m glad technology has improved with audiobooks cause I love them so 🙂
I agree with you – being able to self publish right now is amazing for authors. Even bloggers can sell to their audience now without having to go through a 3rd party source, and it is quite awesome.