Are Books Becoming Obsolete?

Who has time for books?

In the modern day society, our life tempo has picked up pace like never before. Most people tend to put in the extra hours at work or even give up on their vacations in order to make more profit and ensure financial stability in an, otherwise, very turbulent times. That, in turn, leaves little time to rest and engage in other activities or hobbies. People prefer to use the time off work just to relax and recharge for the following day.

Other forms of entertainment are probably not as demanding as books are. They are engaging on a different level, often putting our mind into work by combining and comparing our own experiences with the ones described in the book.

Less engaging forms of entertainment include internet, video games and television, where we can find things of interest presented in such a way that requires minimal effort from us in order to be able to interpret them. Perhaps that is the reason why we would rather sit in front of the television in order to relax, as opposed to reading a book.

Is there a place for books in the 21st century?

Buy or download

If you enjoy reading books, chances are that you are also familiar with the prices as well. For us who are living on a tight budget, buying books can pose a problem. There is an alternative in the form of PDF books. There are literally hundreds of sites that offer free book download and that can be a serious problem for the bookstores, authors, publishing houses and the entire book related industry.

Facts and statistics

The recent research on the topic of popularity of book genres in the US shows that people are most interested in religious books or the ones based on a certain religious topic. This list is arranged on the level of interest:

- Religion

- Romance

- History

- Biography

- Other Genres

This study also shows that Democrats read more than Conservatives. Gender wise, women tend to read more than men, with the exception of biography and history books. Also non-religious people are supposedly reading more than religious ones (which is particularly interesting when the research itself shows that religious themed books are the most sought after).

Conclusion

We live in a time of technological advancement and our life pace is faster than ever. The entertainment level that technology provides for us is yet to reach its full potential. That does not leave much space for books. They are more likely to find their place in the hands of a hopeless romantic or a nostalgic person, lamenting for the times past. In my humble opinion it is only a matter of time when the books will be laid to rest and maybe in the distant future the interest for them shall be rekindled.