Reminiscing On Days Past: Keeping Reading Alive in Wake of Technological Takeover

As a youth, I found no joy greater than curling up in a corner with a great book. My family would often tease that, outside of my tom boy outdoor adventures , I was permanently attached to a book at any given moment. Furthermore, when I was in reading mode, in order to capture my attention it would have to be pried from my hands or some natural disaster would have to occur. As I look back, although playing childhood games and climbing trees was one of my favorite past times, I was absorbed by books. The feel of a hardback or paperback flowing through my fingers as I soaked in the fantasy world was priceless. They sparked my imagination and enhanced creativity that transferred over into my school work which was a proven bonus for me.

Today, with technology changing it has had a major impact on the way our youth receive information including literature. The eBook craze has created a new generation of readers who now pick up a Kindle, Nook, IPad, or various other devices and download as many books as they like. In addition, even younger generations of new readers have eReader devices made by Vtech and various other companies that have the same technological goals. However, interactive books and learning games are loaded on cartridges for reading fun and learning. At any rate, young people have the capability to take all of their favorite books with them on their literary journey. Wherever they go, they can take the device out and absorb themselves in a great book. If the book is not so great, they can move on to the next with ease and convenience. Furthermore, although many adults initially kicked and screamed at the idea of removing printed books from their grasp, many more have gravitated to the new technology and embraced it's benefits.

So what is the state of literature in wake of this technological takeover? The question was raised what do parents do to get their kids interested in reading when video games are being developed at an even more rapid rate? Will print literature be obsolete in a few years? What are your thoughts? Reminiscing on days past what major differences are you seeing today in literature and the way it is received especially among our youth?