These days, the hand written word is hard to come by. Students type their papers on laptops, communicate via email and use text messages instead of spoken words. Reading has been replaced with Netflix, and no one has time to sit down and utilize the energy to open up a book and actually become immersed in it. Printed pages bound by artful covers have recently become a pesky, old-fashioned form of entertainment only enjoyed by teachers and old people.
So why has reading suddenly gone by the wayside? It most definitely has to do with the fact that technology has taken over. Snuggling up in bed with a nice addicting TV series is way easier than breaking out a book and exerting brainpower. More kids know how to play video games than know the main characters in The Great Gatsby. Even in the midst of a climactically exciting point in a novel, the ding of an approaching text message inevitably distracts readers. It’s safe to assume that the world of technology has taken over the realm of books.
There are, however, some exceptions to this theory of the bookless generation (millennials that is). Kindles and Nooks have become a staple in many people’s lives, making books both affordable and portable. Technology today allows people to listen to books while driving in their cars. So while all this technology has distracted people from books and the written word, it has also changed the way books are mediated. Words have become more malleable than we ever knew they could be, and while young adults have a hard time concentrating on such a static thing as a novel, their ability to type out a tweet in less than 20 seconds is almost incomprehensible.
Technology doesn’t have to be the enemy of the written word. So next time you sit down to watch Netflix think about the inspiration and imagery you can obtain from a book. Balance your life. Buy a Kindle, or a Nook or a regular old book, and enjoy the written word. It’s something genuine and static, and that can be a good thing. Don’t forget about Meredith Grey however, she’ll be waiting for her respectable turn for your attention.
