eBooks and Memory: Down the Rabbit Hole?

Abstract

The author discusses the way the technology for reading electronic books has changed the dynamics of the reading experience, illustrating the implications that digital publishing has for personal and cultural memory. Comparing the reading experience between a print edition and an electronic edition on the electronic book reader Kindle, the author finds the difference relevant to the way self-understanding develops through the process of reading. Based on the research by neuropsychiatrist Eric Kandel and David Weinberger's book "Everything is Miscellaneous," the experience of reading has turned memory formation away from a private exercise and more into the realm of social information exchange. Also discussed is the impact of information overload across different media on one's memory.