The growth of modern technologies has significantly changed the lifestyles of people. Things such as books, which were once difficult to obtain, are now conveniently accessible. The internet has brought with it a new development known as e-books. E-books are electronic books which are readily available online, and are slowly surpassing traditional books.
In the past decade, it can be observed that more and more people are opting for this simple alternative of downloadable books. Whether they are novels or academic books, people have found that it is far easier to download an online copy of the reading on their computers and Smart phones, rather than to carry a physical book. Moreover, electronic books are usually free and are just a click away. Many companies and businesses have emerged on the internet and are making the most of this tool. For example, Amazon.com is a virtual bookstore that deals in new and used books. People, especially students, are benefitting greatly from this affordable invention as each year they spend hundreds of dollars on paper-based books. Not only is the physical burden of carrying books around lessened, they are also relieved a little from the financial stress that comes with paying for schools and colleges.
Nevertheless, the surge in electronic books has not had an impact on the popularity of public libraries. Many people, children in particular, still enjoy and prefer visiting and borrowing books from libraries. As children are in their growing stages, parents feel that reading off from a computer and looking at the computer screen for longer periods of time adds strain to their eye muscles. This can be a contributing factor in developing weaker eyesight as they are already subjected to radiation emitted from televisions.
Although old things have a charm of their own, we cannot deny the handiness of books available on the internet. The world is rapidly adapting to and capitalizing on tools such as online books after assessing its benefits, which means that slowly, conventional forms of reading will be redundant.
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