When the Kindle was first released, I was adamant that I would never buy one.
I loved books too much to make the switch; I was determined to avoid e-books, afraid that they might one day replace the real thing.
But instead, I found myself slowly converted. Having access to the Kindle app opened up a world of reading that I hadn’t been able to access before.
It meant I always had reading material to hand, without having to carry a novel around with me. I could take dozens of books on holiday, without worrying about the weight of my suitcase. Whenever I was stuck somewhere with nothing to do, I could read.
For several years, my reading was balanced between hard copy and Kindle.
Whenever I wanted a book quickly, I’d download it, or I’d take advantage of special offers to buy e-books. But I’d still buy piles of books whenever the mood took me.
But over the last year or so, my relationship with the Kindle has weakened. I’ve found myself ignoring my e-books because I’d rather pick up an actual book.
So what has caused this change?
I suspect I’ve just spent too much time over the last few years staring at screens and my brain is desperate for a break.
My life is built around one device or another and it is starting to have an impact on me. Working in an office job means I spend a good eight hours a day attached to my desk, staring at my computer screen. I even spend most of my lunch break there too, catching up on my blog reading.
When I take a break, it’s often to check personal emails on my phone, or glance through my Facebook or Twitter feeds. At home, I check them again repeatedly, before opening up my laptop to blog or work on one of my novels. Then there’s time spent watching television.
It’s no wonder I crave a distraction from the screen.
But all this screen time has had another effect too: it’s made it harder to concentrate for longer than a few minutes at a time. I’m always looking for the next instant fix, finding it harder and harder to get started on new tasks, after switching from one thing to another all day, every day.
Paper books provide a respite. There are no push notifications to alert me to a message, no breaking news or comments to check. Just the pages of a story that I can flick carefully through, allowing myself slowly to be absorbed by something other than a glowing screen.
Of course, one of the big problems this leaves me with is writing book reviews. When I’m invited to review a book that often means I get a complimentary e-version to download. But my increasing aversion to the Kindle makes it harder and harder to work through those books, even when they’re good.
So I’ll sometimes read on my phone in short bursts, with a paper book to hand for when I need a break.
But lately that’s meant I start book after book with little direction, struggling to find the attention to finish anything. It’s left me bereft without my reading time.
I’m slowly trying to work on my concentration levels by reducing my screen time. It’s not easy and I’ll never be able to give up completely. Our devices are just too enmeshed with our daily lives for that to be possible.
While the Kindle has brought me many fantastic stories that I wouldn’t have otherwise read, it’s also become increasingly unnecessary. I need to take my brain back, to let it rest, rather than exposing it to more stimuli, more screens.
So for now, my relationship with the Kindle is on hold. Hopefully it won’t be forever.
Natalie K. says
Amy, have you considered buying a Kindle device? As in, something like the Kindle Touch or Paperwhite or whatever the latest model is? I have a Touch and I LOVE it. I like how it isn’t a backlit screen that hurts my eyes, yet I can make the font nice and big (I have trouble reading small fonts) and it’s also super portable. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve used the app and like it too, but the device is great.
Amy Lord says
Yeah I have a Kindle too, but haven’t used it for ages. There’s just something about reading an actual book that I prefer at the moment!
Richard Fernandez says
I agree with this. I have a Kindle for ARCs I get through Netgalley (being ARCs they often have formatting issues) and I don’t enjoy the experience at all. I find it clunky and it’s very hard to flick back and forth. Yes, it has opened up a world of books I otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to read (and it is lighter than a 600 page hardback) but you are always aware of the technology and this is intrusive.
Amy Lord says
Completely agree with this, Richard! Plus I find it easy to forget I have an ARC on my Kindle and it’s tempting to request them, a click of the button and you have another book, but they pile up quickly.