As we move further into the digital age, new technologies are constantly being created to help make our lives easier. It can be argued that the use of eBooks fall into that category. eBooks are generally defined as an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a digital device. Although the use of eBooks is not necessarily new, it remains a largely debated subject whether eBooks are better than the traditional print books. Despite the fact that physical books are a large part in the lives of book nerds, in a world where global warming is a very real threat, we should be doing our part in going Eco friendly and one way to do that is through the use of eBooks.
Since the invention of the eBooks in the late seventies, they have grown in popularity and now most books are available in the eBook format through iPads, kindles and numerous other devices. Although they continue to gain importance as a new format of reading eBooks, ” sales of eBooks were down 20 percent” in the first half of 2016. Although many rejoice with what they perceive to be a return to a traditional format of reading, print books come with a huge set of disadvantages as “each year, approximately 30 million trees are used to make books sold in the United States.”
Many people cling to the sentimentality of traditional books, citing that the act of physically holding a book contributes to the reading experience better than holding a digital device but with our environment heading towards destruction every small thing counts to keep our earth healthy. The print industry may be under going a new revival but, a better cost effective and Eco friendly way to support our environment is to fall back on the use of technology to read our literature, whether that be through eBooks or audio books.
