The Kindle, by Amazon, is a portable, handheld, electronic device that allows users to digitally read different types of writings (books, magazines, newspapers, etc). It is also known as an "e-book" or an electronic book. Users can store digital copies of books onto a Kindle and bring the device anywhere and read.
The design of this product is simple; there are labels for each button and the product itself only serves one main purpose. There is one large screen for easy viewing and the size is about the same as an average novel.
However, the Kindle is dangerous to society in other ways. First, the Kindle directly impacts book sales at bookstores dramatically. Publishers Weekly claims that according to estimates from the U. S. Census Bureau, a “downward trend of bookstore sales continued in July with sales declining 2.3%, to $1.08 billion.” This is a hard hit for all authors, but also for people behind the scenes like employees with full-time jobs. Another aspect that disapproves the Kindle as a more convenient book option, is when using the Kindle as an alternative to textbooks or classroom tools. In a study done by I4U News, 80% of students rejected using a Kindle compared to using a textbook. Students said that it took longer to look up things and to flip through pages. Also, since there wasn't a tangible aspect to each page of the book, it was harder to write notes or highlight in the book.
Another study about using a Kindle inside the classroom, written by Amlink Computers, shows why the Kindle shouldn't be used as a learning guide for younger children. Digital technology promotes bad handwriting skills because kids are going to be used to typing electronically. Flipping physical pages of a book are also ways to improve hand-eye coordination and a Kindle doesn't offer the sense of touch that a book does. A child's eyesight could also diminish if they are constantly viewing a Kindle machine because text shown on a display screen is most likely impose health risks to their eyes.
The Kindle isn't an effective way to solve problems in the classroom or sometimes in your own home because its purpose and design don't promote a healthy way of living and treatment to our bodies.
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