I bought the first Kindle when it was released in 2007. As a life-long reader, I felt like my dreams had been answered. Suddenly, I could travel with multiple books, and all from a single lightweight device. Over the past fourteen years, I’ve read hundreds of books on various e-readers and probably less than a ten physical books.
I don’t miss the feel or smell of a book. I don’t miss struggling with a reading light, waiting for a paperback, or trying not to damage my books. I like that I can easy switch between books on my Kobo and that it fits in my pants pocket with relative ease. I love that I don’t need huge bookshelves anymore and I can own less items.
So, the question is, why all of a sudden have I been compelled to pick up physical books again? Why did I go invest in a neck lamp to use a book light (by the far the best book light I’ve ever bought)? I think it has something to do with fatigue.
All day long, I feel like everyone wants something from me. My phone wants to track me. The websites I visit want data. My TV and Xbox want to track me. My streaming services want me to watch ads. My Apple Music account wants to know what I’m listening to. It just feels like every relationship I have with technology is more about me giving something extra (outside of the initial purchase/subscription) in exchange for something else.
You can take it a step further, away from technology, and say my job wants results. My wife wants attention and love. My cats want food. My power company wants money. My family wants to schedule a dinner.
It feels like almost all day somebody, or something wants something from me. It’s not all bad. I mean, I obviously exchange my time, data, love for the internet, streaming services, and my wife, but there really isn’t much in life that doesn’t want something in return. And that is where physical books come in.
When I pick up a book (I almost always buy used), our business has been conducted. The book doesn’t care how fast I read, nor does it have a store to recommend similar titles. The book is just there, with all of its content laid out for me to consume at my leisure. I don’t have to sacrifice my privacy or my data to enjoy it. I can be disconnected and engaged in the story. I don’t owe the publishing company or a device company anything more.
In the past, I’d look at a situation like this with anger. I’d feel exploited and frustrated with technology and the way tech companies work (or our world in general) and I’d rant and rave. But I’m too tired for that. I’m tired of fighting and watching things get stupider. No amount of blogging or hashtags are going to change anything and well… I’m tired.
Sometimes you have to look at your battles and decide which ones are worth fighting. I don’t think I would ever give up my Kobo. It’s just too convenient for doctor appointments and what not, but I do think physical books have a future in my life. I need to find more moments where I’m not in a toxic relationship with a tech company and I think books can give me some hours back in my life where I’m not under constant surveillance. I think I need that.
