I have been catching up on the show the Office lately and there are many references to how it is a “failing paper company”. I thought this related to our class because we have been discussing the digitalizing of books. With books going digital this will decrease the use of paper and hurt some economies such as paper companies (Dunder Mifflin).
The hit that businesses are taking because of the decrease in use of paper is not usually looked at but is something that is worth our attention. It’s not just paper companies like Dunder Mifflin but bookstores, newspaper and other types of companies that rely on paper products. Bookstores have been on the decline because of electronic versions of books that are purchased through devices like the Kindle. I know from personal experience there have been bookstores closing around the area I live and it is getting harder and harder to find bookstores. Although the connection is not always made, the similarities between media and real life need to be seen and built upon.
Interesting theory. It is likely that many people in the book production industry are likely very worried about the impact of ebooks on the economy. Only time will tell if this new media form will be ably to fully phase out printed books. It would seem as if the answer to this, however, would be no. Although there are some conveniences with using a nook or a kindle, books are a very important part of the global culture, and so it is unlikely that they will be fully replaced in the near future at least.
I don’t think books will be replaced with digital books in the near future but it is an interesting point. There are multiple industries to consider when looking at the impact ebooks have on the print industry. Paper, ink, binding, all of the labor by man that is still used could all be impacted by the digital books.