First, major publishers report that e-book sales this year have declined after years of impressive sales growth. This brings new uncertainty to the potential of e-books in today's publishing industry. According to reports, a penguin executive recently admitted that the speculation of e-books may lead to unfair investment, and the publisher lost confidence in the "power of the word on the page."
Despite growing recognition that print and digital can coexist in the market, the problem of e-books "killing" printed books still exists. Whether the intention is to predict or eliminate this possibility, one cannot ignore the potential disappearance of the book. Nor can we deny the imagination of people in this regard.
So why is this idea so powerful? Why do we ignore the evidence of peaceful coexistence between e-books and printed books, and it seems that both are arguing?
The answers to these questions go beyond the scope of digital books and reveal the cocktails we fear and excite about change. Our research discusses how the concept of a medium "killing" another medium often becomes a precursor to new technologies.
Before the advent of digital technology, experts predicted the death of contemporary media. For example, when television was invented, most thought radios would die. However, the radio has found a new way of living, and today people listen to it in commuting and work.
The strange case of this disappearing book is a myth, albeit old. As early as 1894, people increasingly speculated that the introduction of phonographs, modern audio books, will bring the end of the world to these books.
Repeat history - many times. Movies, radio, television, hyperlinks and smartphones - all of which are accused of plotting to "kill" printed books as "a source of culture and entertainment."
Then, whenever a technological breakthrough occurs, the idea that the book will die on the surface is not a coincidence. This narrative perfectly reveals the mixture of fear and hope in our response to technological change.
So why are these reactions so common? To understand this, we need to consider the emotional bonds we create with the media and how it becomes an integral part of our lives. A number of studies have shown how people develop close relationships with everyday objects such as books, computers and television.
We even personalize them, such as naming our cars or yelling at our laptops when we refuse to work. It can be seen from this behavior that the emergence of new technologies, such as e-readers, does not only indicate economic and social changes in society, but also allows us to keep our relationships with things that have become an integral part of us. Consistent. Daily life.
Guess what happens next. We find what we are eager to have but no longer have. This is the only reason behind the emerging industries that are built around retro products and old technologies. For example, when the press began to pop in Europe in the 15th century, many people went looking for the original manuscript.
Similarly, the transition from silent to film in the 1920s triggered a nostalgia for old film formats. From analog to digital photography, from vinyl to CD, from black and white to color TV. Not surprisingly, e-readers have sparked new insights into the material quality of "old books," including unpleasant smells that are often disliked.
If you are still worried that printed books will fade from the surface of the earth, rest assured that printed books have triggered many technological revolutions and can survive this revolution.
In other words, the myth of the disappearing media will continue to be entertained with an interesting story about the transformative power of technology and human aversion to change. In fact, in order to understand the concept of change, we have adopted a familiar and familiar "narrative model" – for example, the narrative of death and ending. The story of media demise, a story that is easy to remember and share, reflects our excitement about the future and our fear of losing part of the intimate world and always being our own.
Orignal From: The truth behind e-books and printed books
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