I came across an article that discusses the social reading evolution that e-books are currently going through. In the article, I think it is interesting how e-books are not referred to as being e-books, but rather as “socialbooks”. The article states that e-books are now more frequently being used to connect with others so that friends can share reading experiences with one another. It also shares the idea that book reading is no longer an activity to be performed in solitude, instead stating that “the idea that we read be ourselves is a relatively recent idea and is going to go away”. Personally, I’m a little upset by the idea that one day reading might not be the solitary, personal activity it is today. Although there are probably a lot of upsides to these “socialbooks”, for me reading alone is the most enjoyable thing.
I for one am glad that books are becoming more social. If you think about it, they always were. Even when you read a book by yourself, you are having a constant dialogue with the text/author. Language is a communal thing. We should talk about books, share them, not just read them by ourselves.
I do not like the idea of books becoming more social. When I read a book, I like to just sit alone and imagine the book. I like to almost live in the book and be apart of it. I feel like when it becomes social people will lose that aspect.