DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

Bringing Sexy Paperback

 

I walked passed a young woman waiting for the bus the other day on Broadway after having a delicious lunch at the local iHop. As I passed her I noticed she was putting a book into her purse. It just happened to be one of my favorite satirical novels, Bossypants by Tina Fey. I quickly screamed at her “THAT’S A FUNNY BOOK”. I didn't realize how loudly I had screamed, but it must have stardled her. She looked bewildered and replied “I know right? I’ve been laughing the entire time." We had a good laugh and a short exchange of awkward sentences and then went our separate ways.


Now imagine this interaction if she was reading the same text on her Kindle or iPad. It simply just wouldn't be there. I would have never seen that she was reading Bossypants and she would have never gotten scared as I unintentionally screamed at her. The weird interaction would have never happened and even though it may seem asinine and simplistic in nature, these short, meaningless interactions are crucial to the human experience and attraction. Reading was meant to inspire conversation and interaction; technology is depleting some of this interaction.

 

This newer generation of Facebookers and Instagramers is growing up with a completely new sense of interaction and what it means to form relationships in the real world. For years now, technology has been shaping the way we interact with one another. I don’t need to see my friends anymore; I can text them or send them a quick Facebook message. I don’t need to ask how their lives are going because I can simply check their lives online.  I can find a lover on the internet, order food on the internet, and virtually live my entire life through the computer. Once you do hang out with your friends, you post pictures of them, I know I do. The way we interact on a daily basis has completely changed. We are more connected than ever yet completely disconnected at the same time.

 

What I’m trying to convey is that printed text, whether it be a book, a magazine, or the New York Times, allows for human interaction and is, in lack of a better word, sexy. The digital format of these things will never allow for the same face to face interaction and connection that you receive from its printed counterpart. If you’re someone who doesn’t like talking to strangers on the train, I’d recommend getting a Kindle. If you’re someone that likes to show off how sexy and intelligent you are, grab a book because the matter-of-fact in the 21st century is that intelligence is sexy. 

 

This generation values intelligence because ignorance seems to be everywhere. Reading has become sexy because the lack of it being done, no matter through what format. Proper grammar and etiquette have become rare to find, therefore interesting. I decided to interview some college students in order to understand their experience with text and print and its sex appeal because anecdotal evidence is more useful than scientific information in this case. Can sexiness be scientifically measured?

 

First I interviewed Anthony M., a freshman at DePaul University and asked him if he preferred print or digital media. After he told he preferred digital, I contemplated completely leaving him out of my essay because he was disproving everything I was saying, but he did make some valid points. “I have an iPhone and for my WRD class it’s required to have access to the New York Times. It’s easier to carry around something in my pocket than a huge newspaper.” He was right, digital media is more convenient than print, I however, do not have the privellege of owning a smartphone. It’s more portable than a clunky book, especially when it comes to textbooks, but only those with enough money to afford smartphones and tablets have this advantage. “But don’t you get distracted easily,” I asked him. “Yes but I also get distracted with books. Just with digital things, I can open an app. With print, I have to get up and walk to my fridge to get a sandwich.”

(Anthony, a man with some very valid points.)


I didn’t give up hope in finding someone who shared my interest in printed text and its sexiness. I interview my Andrea O., also a freshman at DePaul. Andrea says “I have an obsession with holding books. I bought an iPad but its not the same. Books look sexy to hold and look at.” I promptly thanked Andrea for agreeing with me!

(Andrea O., a woman who can really appreciate printed media)


Just to make sure my point was proven, I interview Fei L., a freshman at the University of Illinois- Chicago. “Do you even read books,” I asked her? “No.” And that was the end of that.

(Fei, doesn't even read.)


Books also provide aesthetic beauty. They hold knowledge and adventure with every flip of a page and there is something relaxing and mature about physically holding a book. The image of a husband and wife laying in bed together reading lives on in American popular culture through film and art. In an article by Dorothy Stover, “ I have, believe it or not, found myself accepting a date based purely on the fact that the person of interest reads actively.  I have also lost interest in a potential romantic encounter when discovering the last book this person picked up was for their high school literature class.” You heard that guys? Reading has become socially attractive.



What I’m trying to prove isn’t some sort of deeply held belief or even something that in the large scheme of things matters. Books have always been the hub of knowledge and information. Since the invention of writing, human knowledge has grown and spread at lightning speed. So, in the end, the real argument and idea is- if you’re reading anything, whether it be in digital form or print form, you are doing something amazing and beautiful. But if you’re trying to pick up chicks on the train, pick up a version of the New York Times at your local Starbucks

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.