By Mark W. Danielson
Pick any restaurant and you will notice that nearly everyone
there has a beverage of some kind. This
is not unusual, of course, but soda and coffee at most dine-in restaurants
ranges between $2.50 and $3.00. Nearby, drive-through
coffee shops are packed with caffeine hoarders paying four bucks on up for
their brew. Inside, many clients prefer
to coddle their electronic devices than speak to the person sitting across from
them. And thus is the irony of where our
society has gone.
As someone who frequently dines alone while away from home,
such observations often lead to conclusions.
Although I could certainly dwell on how electronic social media sites now
substitute for social interaction, the topic I’m addressing today is about the
financial choices people make – specifically how they prefer drinking words over
reading them. You see, for less than the
cost of a beverage, these same people who sip their drinks, tuned into their
smart phones and iPads, could be reading a book on those same devices. Interesting, no?
With so many e-books available for between one and three
dollars, why haven’t e-book sales tripled since those new Christmas e-readers
were opened? Smashwords.com offers an expansive array of inexpensive books, so
for a minimal investment, why not check out authors you haven’t read? Of course, Amazon and Barnes and Noble also
have plenty of e-books for three bucks or less.
Considering how dine-in restaurants are thriving, cost
cannot be the reason people aren’t reading.
More likely, it’s our infatuation with reality TV and social media. If this is actually the case, then our society
is in serious trouble, for words anchor civilization. The next time you think about giving a gift
card, consider giving one from a book store rather than Starbucks. In the long run, the recipient might thank
you.
