Assignment 1-4-2

My popular culture topic of “Will e-readers (Kindles, Smartphones, etc.) eventually replace the traditional paper book?” applies to the theories of popular belief, myth, and icons. Popular belief is that e-readers will become more popular than that of the traditional paper book. According to myth, technology will continue to make our lives easier and better. The e-reader is also an icon that everyone wants because it is cool and a lot easier to carry than books.

According to popular belief, the traditional paper books may become obsolete as e-readers in the form of Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Smartphones, and even iPads are now available to download books on. It may be more cost effective to publish books in a digital format than in printed form. It also makes carrying of multiple books at a time easier. The myth that technology will make our lives easier can either be positive or negative. Technology has definitely made our lives easier as we communicate more with each other, take classes online verses an actual classroom, and in multiple facets of our employment. It is hard not to get passionate about the new technological advances that are happening all around us. However, it can also make our life harder with the many distractions and bad influences that can enter our lives and the lives of our children on a daily basis. The e-reader has become an icon to our society. You see some form of them everywhere you go. They are used not only for books but also for calendars, notes, and business meetings.

The insights I have gained from applying these theories to my popular culture topic are how everything is going electronic and how convenient it has become. It is also the status of having the latest and best technology at your fingertips. The simple things of the past that were once enjoyed are being replaced as new popular culture is being introduced into society. Questions I have to ask myself are how do I want to be a part of all this, and am I willing to give up paper books for the convenience of having them on an easily portable device? I love the feel of having a book in my hands however convenient an e-reader is.