In the middle of the digital age, the paper book continues to be the favorite of readers of all ages.
When those of us who grew up reading Mortadelo and Filemón on paper and appreciate reading in the classic format over any other digital experience have disappeared , the world will be populated by people who grew up with YouTube and studied with digital books on their tablets.
While it's true that this will take several decades, it seems unlikely that, by then, the printed book will be valued as anything more than a collector's item. The smell and feel of paper , the pleasant, gentle rustle of turning pages, will have lost value compared to the advantages of light weight, storage capacity, and connectivity offered by digital media.
The slow change from the paper book to the digital book. Why do we resist the ebook?
Although we can already see members of the Mortadelo generation reading the latest literary bestsellers on their phones on the subway or bus , the truth is that, regardless of your generation, it's uncomfortable , and if your eyesight isn't great, it becomes an impossible task. On public transport, readers of physical books coexist with those using e-readers and with those who aren't so keen on reading but are checking WhatsApp or social media on their phones.
The current advantage of the digital book is its storage capacity.
This makes it the ideal holiday companion for avid readers who don't need to lug around a suitcase full of heavy paper books. However, for everyday reading —before bed, on the commute, or at home on the weekend—that advantage disappears, because nobody usually reads more than one book at a time. The sacrifice of the pleasures of paper isn't compensated for by the storage capacity.
The paper book is less eye-tiring, has no reflections on its pages and never runs out of battery.
The latest research is trying to develop a chip through which the content of millions of books can be implanted in the brain.
The single device will be the trigger for the definitive change.
Technology companies are focusing their research on consolidating all the devices we use into one (mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) . The difference between carrying a mobile phone and a paper book versus a mobile phone and an ebook reader isn't enough to convince paper lovers to give it up.
To achieve a unique device , two things are needed: Adjusting the size to each use and having long-lasting batteries.
When we have a device that can be the size of a mobile phone or can unfold its screens to the size of a television and we don't have to depend on the charger every few hours of use, we will read, watch movies, talk, play games and browse with it.
If we add virtual reality to these devices, when we get tired of reading , we can travel on the subway while visiting the MoMA in New York.
Distances to work will no longer be important, we will be looking forward to being late.
Single device or also ...
The alternative to this type of invention, which according to experts provides the most realistic experience and with which the first tests are already being carried out , is the chip in the brain , but for the moment it is much less attractive to human beings.