Printed Books VS. E-Books in Indonesian Digital Natives

In this digital era, other than our technology that has been evolved, the way of reading books is also being provided with a new way. Such things like electronic books (e-books), which provide convenience and easier access so you don't need to bring a heavy or big book when you want to read. But, even though there's already a digital book, printed books still have a high value, especially among digital natives in Indonesia that were born and raised during this digital era. Study by Dyah Puspitasari Srirahayu and Gancar Candra Premananto explain how this generation see and explores both printed books and e-books. While both books serve a different purpose and also offer an experience in a different ways, both can't replace each other. This essay will compare and contrast the experience of digital natives in using printed books and e-books, focusing on convenience, accessibility, and challenges.

Based on the advantages of printed books, it provides emotional and sensory appeal for readers. In the study it also shows how digital natives have a deep attachment to physical books. They like how physical books feel, the texture of the paper, the act of flipping between pages and the unique scent of the book. I am also one of the people who prefer the feeling of printed books rather than e-books. The feeling of paper books makes reading more enjoyable and fun. Printed books also give us an interaction like putting annotations, sticky notes, and a fun chase if it's like a limited edition book. Some readers also mentioned how books can serve as entertainment in social media, such as how others put decorations in their books, changing the cover to something more amazing and other things that people with creativity do. It shows how printed books have more kind of emotional feeling or connection to the readers.

On the other hand, e-books offer more convenience than printed books. E-books can be put in smartphones, tablets, or their own gadget like Kindle, making them ideal and easier for people who are always on the move. A single app or device can hold so many books, so you won't run out of space or storage. Since e-books are easier to access, especially in remote areas or when you search for books that still haven't got any printed form, e-books can be such a helpful alternative. It also provides more accessibility as it has lots of features to choose from such as adjustable fonts, night mode, and built-in dictionary so you can enhance the reading experience, especially when you need it for academic or professional use. 

Despite their advantages, both of them have limitations. Printed books are usually more expensive, not to mention they are hard to carry everywhere because of how heavy they are, and they also take a lot of space. They are also easy to tear, especially when they are not stored properly. Next, e-books, in contrast, depend fully on electronics or gadgets. Long screen time can lead to hurt your eyes, headaches, and fatigue. Many readers also confess they are easily distracted when there's a notification from social media or other apps. Finally, not all books are available in e-books format, some have a restricted access through subscriptions.

The journal emphasizes that digital natives do not view printed books and e-books as a competition. Instead, they see it as a tool to complement each other. For casual, looking for sensual feelings for reading, many prefer printed books. For when you need practice and have to multitask, e-books are the better option. The study found that even tech-savvy readers are unlikely to completely abandon printed books despite using e-books regularly.

In conclusion, the comparison between printed books and e-books shows different roles for Indonesian digital natives. For printed books they provide emotional and sensory appeal for the reader, while e-books provide more convenience to readers. Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages, but together they form a balanced way to readers. Rather than replacing one another, printed books and e-books will surely continue to coexist, offering lots of ways to choose based on purpose and preference.