Discussion: Pros and Cons of E-readers

This debate has been covered in every possible way by now, but what harm can one more post about E-readers be? I’ve only been an owner of an E-reader for just over a year now, and I feel like now that I use one I can actually experience the pros and cons of these devices myself.

Pros

Image result for practical gif

1. Practical

Above all else, the biggest advantage of the e-reader is its practicality. For individuals that commute frequently, the e-reader is a perfect lightweight companion for those journeys. Some might still prefer the company of physical books on their journey’s, but the weight of those books can really drag you down, especially when your morning has been a bit hectic. Also, on the days where you find yourself in a rush, you don’t have to worry about causing damage to your e-reader like you would a book. Books are a bit more fragile and take up a lot of space and it’s so easy for the book to get battered and bruised.

2. Affordability

The price of the e-reader itself is more of an investment, but if you use the e-reader frequently then it’s worth it. Now, ebooks themselves work out considerably cheaper than physical books in most cases. So, for those of you that are on a budget and can’t afford to purchase all these new hardcover books, ebooks are a good alternative, especially with the deals and sales they have going on. In the long run, the investment in the e-reader pays off in terms of affordability for books.

3. Saving space

I don’t know about you, but an e-reader is a perfect strategy to save on shelf space. I only have one bookshelf and it’s already almost full. I have no intention of buying another bookshelf. I like having that single spotlight on my books and I don’t want the addition of another bookshelf to clog up the rest of the little space I have in my room. An e-reader is the perfect storage space for all the books you love, but can’t spare on the bookshelf. It also saves some crucial space when packing. On my recent trip to Canada, I took 2 books with me along with my e-reader and read neither of them. Therefore, the books became an unnecessary addition to my suitcase, space that could have been filled with additional souvenirs.

Cons

Image result for impatient gif

1. Fuels sense of impatience

This might link in with the sense of impatience we’ve developed with the digital age. Skim reading has become an increasing habit with online reading as readers want to cut straight to the chase instead of taking the time to gain a full understanding of the context. This might not be true for everyone but ebooks can fuel this impatient nature in the sense that as soon as we finish one, we dive straight to the next losing that chance to really savour the book we had just finished.

2. Expiration Date

Now, this isn’t a major issue and likely not something that will immediately affect you, but it is important to remember that your e-reader, like most electronic devices, have an expiration date. At some point, they will start to malfunction and just won’t be as efficient as they once were as the years go by. It is then that you have to question whether or not it’s worth investing in another e-reader.

3. Harder to immerse in the e-book

Again, this might not be true for everyone, but there have been some instances where I found it harder to fully immerse myself in an eBook. That might have been down to the book itself, but I do find that it takes a while longer for me to really invest in the story when I’m reading on my kindle. For me, I think reading a physical book makes the experience a bit more personal because not only do you have the comfort of a physical copy, but you also have other influences, like the smell of new books, that enhance the experience.

Which is better?

If you asked me this question a year ago I would have said physical books, no hesitation. However, now that I own a kindle and have used it quite frequently it’s a little bit harder to chose. I think I will always gravitate towards physical books more, but I find that the overall experience isn’t all that different. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which format you read because you’re still going to follow the same story, and it’s the journey you take with the story that matters most. 

Do you prefer reading ebooks or physical copies?
What do you think are the pros and cons of owning an e-reader?

11 thoughts on “Discussion: Pros and Cons of E-readers”

  1. I prefer e-readers because they’ve made my life so much easier and like you said, ebooks tend to be much more affordable and take up less space than physical copies. I hadn’t thought about your first con, but you are right – they do totally fuel a sense of impatience and I hardly ever savor a book these days because I’m impatient to get to the next read. Definitely food for thought here, Lois!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. It’s interesting that you see an e-reader as more durable than an actual book, because you would think an electronic device you have to be much more careful with….do you ever take yours in the bath, or would that be super dangerous? All my books have watermarks on them because I read in the tub 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have yet to try and take it with me to the bath, and truthfully knowing how clumsy I can be sometimes I wouldn’t dare to try haha. However, since I’ve got a pretty durable cover for my kindle I’m not as worried about it getting banged up in my bag.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. This is such an interesting discussion! I have to say, before I got an e-reader, I thought that I would always be all about physical books, but now… well, if I love physical books more than anything else, I can’t deny how great an e-reader is. I love how practical it is to take away whenever you travel or just commute, that’s always so good. Also, It doesn’t take that much space either, compared to tons of physical copies haha. But yes, I have to say that I agree about that sense of impatience, too…. I mean, there are so many books at hand, it’s even quicker to jump into the next book, but not necessarily something we should do. I mean, I always love to appreciate a book once I’m done with it and there… I’m trying to do that, but sometimes it’s hard when the next book is one click away haha 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is exactly how I feel about my kindle. I just the practicality of them and the fact that it’s basically a miniature collection of books makes me so happy because my already cluttered room can’t take anymore! I’ve found that I always tend to jump straight book with my kindle and I forget to savour the previous book like I would with a physical copy.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I had that exact feeling just this past weekend, reading an e-book. I just finished reading it and right away I scrolled to see what I had to read next in my library. Then I remembered your post and put my e-reader down for the rest of the day and that was a good decision haha 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I have an eReader (I call it Akinli), but I cannot say I am in love with it. Much like you, I have a hard time really immersing myself in the book I am reading when it’s on my ereader, compared to when I am holding a physical copy of it. Also, for the books I really loved, I feel like I need to buy a physical copy nonetheless and that’s just doubling down on paying money as I usually try to avoid multiple copies of the same book.
    Having said that, I wasn’t able to bring more than one book with me to Berlin, so I packed Akinli as well and I still had a couple of unread books on it. I also got a great deal for The Darkest Minds for only 0.99 Euros, so I bought that as well because I am curious after watching the movie. It really is immensely practical. I just wish I could love it more.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I still need to formally give my kindle a name, but I’m torn between three names and can never find it in me to make that final decision, but I am trying and actually succeeding at not buying as many books because I literally have close to zero space left on my shelf and in my room in general.
      I tend to go through bouts where I am either constantly using my kindle or I go cold turkey and forget I even have it. There never seems to be a middle ground haha.

      Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment