Now that The Complicated Boy is in school (Full Time… HOLLA!!) I get to enjoy some- as he calls them- “Boring An-dult shows” with my morning coffee.
Today, I flipped the channels and ended up tuning into “Regis and Kelly”, where they opened up the show by reading a portion of a new children’s book called “It’s A Book”. In the book, one character reads a book and the other, a “computer geek” sits there puzzled by it, trying to figure out just what a book is.
At one point he asks “Can you blog on it?”
If the book were written exactly as shown here I might even buy it for my son.
However, what is not shown in the video above, is that the book’s “Tech” character is not only portrayed as , but is actually named “Jackass”-making it questionable when it comes to being appropriate for children.
As for books in this blogging home- The Complicated Boy knows what a book is. In fact he loves trying to read and having us read him new stories- his Tag Learning Pen is a God send …another example of technology taking over? Perhaps, but it’s keeping him interested in books- and helping me by keeping his “what is this word” questions at bay.
Today we (myself included) are all about convenience and when it comes to reading that often means getting our information through the internet, reading our books on our Kindles and IPads. Our children are being raised in a very digital world.
A story recently came out (that I read online of course) about how Seton Hill University is giving IPads to all students in the fall so that students will be able to purchase those super expensive college textbooks that some of us are still paying off for a fraction of the price. Are these college kids spoiled or what? Not having to pay a small fortune every semester on books AND not having to lug them all around too?
It’s major transitions in our reading style like this that is keeping bookstores struggling to stay in business. Will books remain relevant in our kids digital age?
Can you imagine a world where books are as irrlevant as an 8-track, or cassette? … Hell, even CD’s aren’t very relevant anymore. Imagine Barnes and Nobel and Borders becoming the next Sam Goody? {{insert retro theme music: Goody’s Got It… Goody’s Got -it- SAM GOODY}}
And though when it comes to the book itself, I am a bit on the fence as to if this is something I’d want in my child’s library collection, the book made me think of how important books are and how even a blogger (computer geek) like myself would be a little disappointed to see physical books disappear.
Where do you weigh in on the print vs. digital debate? Would you buy “It’s A Book” for your child with a character named “JACKASS”?
