It will be a sad day when print media completely dies out.

I think you are safe for your lifetime (no matter how young you are.) There are books that are HUNDREDS of years old still around and I suspect it will be a while before all print medium will go away. I like audio books, but when I had the choice between not getting the book because it wasn't out on audio yet or the print one, I grabbed the print one (and got it SIGNED TOO!)

Many years ago I read a science fiction story about some children who visited a historial museum, and one of the things in the museum was a book. I laughed when I read the story, it was before the internet and before e-readers, and I found it hard to believe that printed books would disappear one day. Today a world without printed books doesn't sound so unrealistic, but I would be sad if printed books disappeared. I often visit the library and I love reading oldfashioned books. At my local library we are able to download books instead of picking up the books at the library, but there are still many, many printed books available and I hope that it will remain that way for a long time.

This discussion reminds me of a scene from the movie "The Time Machine" (it was a book as well, but I believe I only saw the movie). The protagonist uses the time machine to venture many, many years into the future. In the "future world," there is only one book, and it is so ancient and degraded that it crumples just from his touch. He is basically told by the "future people" that nobody reads. I think a lot of people's preference of digital media to print media is a question of convenience. It is a lot easier to make a purchase online and download something than it is to get in your car, drive to the store, wait in line, drive home, etc., etc. In most cases, e-books and other digital media are a heck of a lot cheaper too, so it is a way to save money as well. While I, too, sometimes choose digital media for the sake of time and price, I will always buy print media. In fact, I grew up with countless family scrapbooks, antique books (the kind with the fancy carvings and engravings all over them), and my genealogy research has led me to sheet music that my family published during the 19th and early 20th century. In many ways, I am more enamored by old print media than I am new... it was so much more formal and meticulously put together back then, and it just seems people are more content to do a more lackluster job of things these days. This is not to say I don't like newer publications as well, however. Nothing compares to actually holding the real thing in your hands and flipping the pages, wondering what will happen on the next page. And don't forget that print media has unlimited battery life! This all brings me to another topic of handwritten notes. As fun as e-greetings are, the handwritten ones are so much more personable with so much more individuality.

I do not think that the printed word will ever completely be forsaken. The development of the book and printed material was one of the greatest ever inventions. There are too many people who appreciate hard copy books, magazines and newspapers. The true bibliophiles will not allow the abandonment of such a wonderful medium.

They will still be able to use an actual book with pages of paper when they go to public libraries and archives to search for something when they're doing a research.

I seriously agree. First bookstores then newspapers, next thing you know it and boom libraries are suddenly overate.

That will be a sad day indeed. It already makes me sad to see how little people use libraries and book stores anymore for the actual book. I will admit I own an E-Reader. I purchased it because it was a new, fun gadget. I still read paperback books though! I switch on and off. I love that I can get tons of free books on my Kindle but I still purchase paperbacks from my favorite authors and genres. I will never stop going to book stores and libraries. Just because I own and sometimes read from an E-reader doesn't mean I'll give up on print media. I still love that just as much as my Kindle (if not more.)

that can happen if schools will not inspire children to read great books instead of playing video games. i think that might happen and it's not soon.